With what army? NTF-ELCAC scoffs at CPP's money-making scheme for May elections

January 24, 2025 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict condemns the Communist Party of the Philippines' latest extortion directive and dismisses with contempt the terrorist group's hollow claim "to ensure protection of the people’s rights and interests." The CPP has also declared its intent to "strictly enforce standing policies of the people’s democratic government" concerning the conduct of campaigning in rural areas across the country.

But with what army? The CPP’s New People’s Army (NPA) has already been reduced to a small number of dispirited, disorganized and desperate armed bandits, with 88 out of its 89 guerilla fronts dismantled. The once-feared armed group now exists as a literal paper tiger, its roar limited to social media and propaganda.

The CPP has long hammered into its members the violent rhetoric that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Its forces use this to justify extortion from politicians seeking to campaign in rural areas, with the NPA demanding substantial sums in exchange for "safe passage" in territories they falsely claim to control. However, the foundation of these extortion tactics—their supposed armed might—no longer exists. They no longer have significant firepower. And they definitely no longer enjoy the support of the masses, especially in communities that have seen the benefits of government efforts to deliver peace and development.

It is laughable that the CPP thinks it is in any position to browbeat the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine National Police into withdrawing from their mandate of protecting Filipinos. Our troops will continue to ensure clean elections and prevent exploitation by communist terrorist groups, such as extortion and infiltration during the electoral season.

While the CTGs grandstand in supposedly rejecting electoral participation, recovered internal memoranda reveal that as early as 2023, the CPP has already directed its legal fronts and party-list groups to recoup their lost seats in the House of Representatives and use the elections to recover lost bases and raise resources to revive the NPA. Hence, the Makabayan bloc, unsurprisingly, received a not-so-subtle nod in the CPP’s 56th anniversary statement.

The truth is, since the implementation of Executive Order No. 70, the CPP has already become a nuisance in the Filipino people's exercise of democracy. Its extortion calls are now nothing more than empty threats to feign relevance, despite the resounding reality that no one is listening.

We urge candidates vying for national and local positions to reject the CPP’s hollow assurances and refuse to fall victim to extortion. Let us work together to ensure that the upcoming elections are clean, honest, and reflective of the will of the Filipino people. By resisting the tactics of communist terrorist groups, we can uphold the integrity of our democracy and protect the sanctity of the electoral process.

Undersecretary Ernesto C Torres Jr

Executive Director

NTF ECAC