THE 10TH Infantry Division on Wednesday said the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is a “game-changer” in achieving an insurgency-free region.
On Wednesday’s Davao Peace and Security press briefing held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Major Ruben Gadut, the 10th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, who hailed the NTF-ELCAC as a “game-changer” in achieving an insurgency-free region.
“For almost five decades, we struggled to eradicate the insurgency,’ Gadut stated. “But with ELCAC, we’ve seen rapid progress. We aim to reduce the remaining seven weakened guerilla fronts nationwide to zero by 2025.”
Gadut emphasized the strategic importance of dismantling these fronts, which he identified as the NPA’s primary recruitment and mobilization units. “By eliminating their recruitment mechanisms, we’re crippling their ability to replenish their ranks,” he explained.
He highlighted the NTF-ELCAC’s focus on community-based programs, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), through the Barangay Development Program. “These programs counter NPA propaganda and encourage surrenders, complementing military operations,” Gadut said, refuting calls for the task force’s abolition, especially in Region XI.
The call for abolition came from Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas.
However, President Marcos Jr. defended the NTF-ELCAC, stating, ‘Our efforts are bearing fruit. We have to continue. It has been successful, and we must continue investing in its success.’
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has rejected calls to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), with the military asserting its crucial role in significantly weakening the New People’s Army (NPA).
National Security Council spokesperson, Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, confirmed President Marcos’s unwavering support for the NTF-ELCAC during a meeting at Malacañang.
However, a point of contention has emerged regarding the Barangay Development Program’s funding.
NTF-ELCAC executive director undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. reported that while the task force aims for P10 million per barangay liberated from communist rebels, this year’s allocation was reduced to P2.5 million.
Torres indicated that they will push for the reinstatement of the P10 million allocation in next year’s national budget.
