NTF-ELCAC vows to crush NPA under Marcos Jr.’s administration

July 12, 2024

National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Eduardo Año has vowed that with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) the government will totally crush the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), within the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Bagong Pilipinas”.

“The NTF-ELCAC continues to achieve significant and laudable milestones from the very beginning. Under the Marcos administration, we will carry on with these achievements and we will make sure that during his administration, we will be able to completely crush these peace-spoilers,” Año, also concurrent NTF-ELCAC co-vice chair, said during the 1st semester presentation of accomplishment report from the agency’s different clusters and regional task forces.

NTF-ELCAC, created by Executive Order No. 70 in 2018, is chaired by the President and the Vice President, Sara Duterte, as co-vice chair. But Duterte recently resigned her NTF-ELCAC position after she tendered her resignation as Education secretary.

After more than 5 years of aggressive implementation of its multi-pronged political and socio-economic programs and strategies, Año said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been successful in destroying the politico-military component of all the 89 active NPA guerrilla fronts since 2018.

“Notably, in the last two quarters, 4 CTG (communist terrorist group) units have been dismantled. We're also on the verge of completely dismantling the remaining 7 weakened guerilla fronts. We expect that the remaining GFs will be dismantled within the year or the next,” Año said.

He emphasized that sustained operations under the “whole-of-government” approach, meaning the close collaborations of different government agencies, local government units (LGUs) and the security sector, led to the surrender of 44,528 CTG personalities. The number doesn’t mean all are NPA rebels, the majority of them are either supporters or sympathizers.

“This figure includes the neutralization of 37 key leaders in this semester,” Ano said.

In kinetic operations, the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) would recover different kinds of firearms and explosives from the NPA terrorists alongside body counts and captured members. Just recently, at least 10 NPA terrorists including their leader perished during an encounter with Army soldiers in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.

Año said that since EO70 was established, a total of 7,587 firearms of different high and low calibers were surrendered.

“Of the said number, 738 were for this semester alone, surrendered. We hope that these numbers, threats of armed conflict across the country will also significantly dwindle,” he said.

In its report, the NTF-ELCAC’s Peace, Law Enforcement, and Development Support (PLEDS) Cluster revealed that the NPA strength is now down to only 1,251 nationwide.

“I am beyond proud and grateful to witness how our collective visions – once seemingly insurmountable – are little by little realized, especially seeing the much sought transformations now happening among our fellow citizens and their communities,” Año said.

He said much has been said about the NPA terrorists pestering the people’s peaceful and prosperous dwelling place with conflict twisted beliefs and propaganda “baffling our way to inclusive and widespread peace and progress.”

“These hindrances have reminded us time and again, and no matter how difficult and long our fight drags on, to carry the spirit of unity and cooperation – which in the past couple of years allowed us to turn the tide against these adversaries. We have pushed ourselves forward, stronger and more capable of achieving what was once overwhelming to do,” Año added.

NTF-ELCAC MEDIA BUREAU

Ref: Joel M. Sy Egco

09155506969

July 12, 2024