VP Sara is an ally, NTF-ELCAC is here to stay – execs

December 06, 2023

Officials assured that Vice President Sara Duterte is an ally and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is rock-solid, contrary to naysayers' claim that the anti-communist body would soon become irrelevant.

“VP Sara is not only an ally of the NTF-ELCAC, she’s the Vice-Chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC and the second highest official of our land,” National Secretariat Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. told the media during a virtual press conference Wednesday (Dec. 6) hosted by the Integrated Communication Operations Center (ICOC), the media bureau of NTF-ELCAC.

Torres explained that the statements of the Vice President should not be misconstrued as against the policy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for peace, unity and development.

“Our leaders and even the observers may differ in their views regarding this amnesty and the possibility of the peace process but of course, mayroon naman tayong body to synthesize all of these things and iisa lang naman yung objective natin e, to finally end the local communist armed conflict in our country,” he said.

National Security Council Assistant Deputy General Jonathan Malaya agreed and supported this, saying, “the objective of the Vice President has always been the same with the President, both of them want to end the local communist armed conflict.”

Torres also assured these recent positive developments on peace building by the Marcos Jr. administration will never stymie the momentum of the NTF-ELCAC to continue liberating vulnerable communities from the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) specially in the Geographically-Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAS).

“‘Yung mandate ng NTF-ELCAC will remain the same. It will continue on. Yung efforts po natin in resolving the root causes of insurgency will remain and that is resolving yung mga problema natin on poverty, on education, on health, and other basic services that have to be brought sa mga conflict-affected areas,” he said.

“Patuloy pati ‘yung mga Local Peace Engagements natin and other transformation programs natin for the former rebels na up to now ay mga thirty-nine thousand na rin that benefited from the existing program that we are implementing,” he added.

Responding to vitriolic attacks by leftist groups and personalities, Malaya shot back: “There is no possibility on earth that the NTF-ELCAC will be abolished!” ###

NTF-ELCAC MEDIA BUREAU

Ref: Joel M. Sy Egco

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