The Catholic Church will play a more significant role in the anti-insurgency effort through a recalibrated National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, or NTF-ELCAC, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said yesterday.

The task force will now have the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs as a member.

"We welcome the CBCP through its Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs to the NTF-ELCAC Executive Committee and we look forward to working with them in pursuing peace and development in all parts of the country, especially in conflict-affected areas," Año said.

The task force indicated an openness to suggestions from the Church in adopting "moral and ethical approaches in addressing the communist insurgency," as cited by CBCP president and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David in a recent statement.

"We are opening the door of NTF-ELCAC to the Church because it has an important role to play in ending violence and terrorism in the country," Año said.

"For more than 50 years, we have lived with the scourge of the communist armed conflict. With peace now in sight, the Church has an important role to play in ensuring peace and development in the long term," he added.

With the CBCP in the NTF-ELCAC, Año believes that concerns raised by the Church or by cause-oriented groups supported by them could be immediately addressed.

"Because of this development, the Church will have more opportunity to relay its concerns, since its mandate is to act as a liaison of the CBCP to the government," he said, citing the attendance of Fr. Jerome Secillano at the NTF-ELCAC executive committee meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on Friday.

Año reiterated that the task force's main mandate is to formulate "whole-of-nation" policies to end armed conflict in the country.

"CBCP's membership in the task force ensures a whole-of-nation's participation because the religious sector is an important component of the nation," he said.

Intervention in influenced areas

Año sees the CBCP making significant contributions to the development of areas previously under the influence of the New People's Army, as well as facilitating social inclusivity in the pursuit of peace.

"Given that we are now on the road to total victory, it's necessary that we recalibrate the way we do things and the entry of the CBCP to the NTF-ELCAC is one of the changes we have implemented under the Marcos administration," he said.

More rebels rejoin society

NTF-ELCAC also expressed optimism the government can sustain its peace-building effort to encourage more rebels to reintegrate into mainstream society.

At a forum on Saturday, NTF-ELCAC director Alexander Umpar said that in 2023, a total of 959 villages cleared of the insurgency were included in the Barangay Development Program or BDP, an initiative that aims to bring sustainable development programs to conflict-prone and conflict-affected communities.

Under the BDP, each village recipient receives a package of programs, activities, and projects worth a maximum of P20 million.

BDP beneficiaries in 2021 and 2022 numbered 822 and 1,406, respectively, he said.

Umpar said the NTF-ELCAC is confident that by 2028, it would have attained its goal of achieving lasting peace and development in areas that are vulnerable to armed conflict.

"'By 2028, it is about sustaining the momentum of NTF-ELCAC gains with regard to the dismantling of guerrilla fronts, the reintegration of former rebels, and most of all, building resiliency for our communities under the ambit of good governance toward unity, peace and development," he said.

The government, he said, has dismantled 69 of 89 guerrilla fronts since the creation of the task force in 2018.

One of the 20 remaining guerrilla fronts, he said, is active while 19 others had weakened.

"'When we say strategic victory, this (because) of the 19 weakened guerrilla fronts and only one is left to be confronted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines," he said.

"There are still concerns about the armed groups but they are no longer able to initiate an armed struggle or to topple our government. So, that's the strategic victory," Umpar said.

On the other hand, NTF-ELCAC director Jose Descallar urged rebels to give up and join the government in its goal of transforming the country into a "new Philippines."

He said the military could shift its focus to "external threats," once the government is able to address the local insurgency.

Meanwhile, Director Emmanuel Santos of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity said the conduct of localized peace engagements has been proven to be the "most effective" approach in addressing the communist insurgency.

"We're localizing the engagement so we will be closer to the people to make them feel that the government is really here," Santos said.

He added, however, that there should be "clear directions" to ensure the full reintegration of FRs into mainstream society.