It was a big event which basically came and went unnoticed at the request of one of the parties.
Roman Catholic priests and Army commanders comprising the Church Military Advisory Group (CMAG) met in Dumaguete last week to discuss peace, security, and development initiatives in the island.
The good news that emerged from that meeting was that the military and the church will work hand in hand to win the hearts and minds of the people through projects promoting peace and development.
Everyone is agreed — even the military — that the solution to eradicating the problem of insurgency is not a military solution.
Often, it is not ideology that drives people to the mountains. It is poverty and injustice, brought about by the feudal system that exists in the country.
This is basically a question of economics. Give the people the means to support their families in peace, and they will not think of supporting any armed group that seeks to destroy the government.
We can look at some successful communities in Negros Oriental that overcame the insurgency problem when they realized that their lives were getting better through the support given by sincere public servants.
The drive of the CMAG deserves the full support of everyone. This is one program that has a promise.