NTF-ELCAC: Localized peace talks yield 1,904 returnees

July 12, 2024

The government has successfully engaged a total of 1,904 communist insurgents at various levels of Local Peace Engagement (LPE) from 299 cleared barangays across the country in the first semester of the year, the LPE Cluster of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) announced on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Of those who surrendered, 1,266 were members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and 638 Militia ng Bayan (MB).

"This period marks a remarkable achievement. This accomplishment will serve as the foundation for us to accelerate and advance," stated Atty. Wilben Mayor, Presidential Assistant and Undersecretary for the Local Conflict Transformation Cluster of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), during the NTF-ELCAC's first semestral conference at Camp Aguinaldo.

Mayor specifically referred to Tracks 1 and 2 of the LPE and Transformation program, which include community consultation and problem-solving sessions and local peace dialogue, respectively.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Angelito de Leon of the Department of National Defense (DND), who also heads the NTF-ELCAC's Peace, Law Enforcement, and Development Support (PLEDS) Cluster, reported that the NPA's strength has decreased to only 1,251 from 24,000 in the '80s.

"Significantly, during this period, 37 key leaders of the NPA have been neutralized," De Leon stated, noting that these rebel leaders played crucial roles in the terror strategies of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

De Leon emphasized that the NTF-ELCAC is on the right path to finally ending local communist armed conflict.

Mayor highlighted the outcomes of the cluster's mechanisms as they continue to engage surrendering rebels and establish linkages for the surrender of the remaining NPA remnants.

"As we push forward, we delve deeper into key issues affecting these former NPA rebels, such as security threats from their former comrades, landlessness, limited access to government social services, among others," Mayor added.

To further strengthen the collective spirit of the former rebels, De Leon commended security partners for establishing Peace and Development Centers (PDCs).

"The PDCs act as a convergence point between the government's whole-of-nation approach and the former rebels."

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director and Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. emphasized the need to innovate mechanisms that can effectively and efficiently serve the government's ultimate goal of resolving the root causes of insurgency that would result to ending the communist terrorist movement.

"We have already achieved victory on the battlefield, dismantling 89 active NPA guerilla fronts. Now, we are only dealing with 7 weakened fronts. We must innovate our tactics and mechanisms. In addition to the LPE and Transformation Program, we also have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Amnesty Program. We must maximize these opportunities," Torres stated.

He mentioned that the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) has established 9 Local Amnesty Boards (LAB) in strategic areas across the country.

"Let us utilize the PDCs and LABs to expedite the amnesty process," Torres concluded.

--30--

NTF-ELCAC MEDIA BUREAU

Ref: Joel M. Sy Egco

09155506969