Marcos: 'Insurgency in Eastern Visayas to end under my term'

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that communist insurgency in Eastern Visayas will be eradicated during his term on the back of "sufficient progress" in the region.

Marcos said this in a chance interview in Leyte when asked about the updates on his previous directive, issued during his visit to Northern Samar in July 2023, to put an end to the armed conflict.

“Yes, I am, very much so,” Marcos responded, citing progress reports. “It’s getting better and better. It is no longer as chaotic as before," Marcos added.

The President acknowledged that encounters with rebel groups are still occurring, but emphasized a decrease in their scale and frequency. He credited the dismantling of rebel organizations “bit by bit” to the ongoing efforts.

“I think the progress is sufficient. I think we will be able to do it within the schedule that we have given ourselves,” Marcos said.

Marcos did not provide a specific timeframe for the resolution of the insurgency. In July 2023, he expressed hope that Northern Samar would be declared insurgency-free by the end of that year.

The Philippine government has long grappled with communist insurgencies in various regions, including Northern Samar. 

The New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been active in the area for decades.

Marcos previously stated that the government's anti-insurgency body, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), would persist in eliminating insurgency from the remaining barangays.

Despite criticisms from militant groups accusing the government agency of red-tagging individuals, Marcos said the NTF-ELCAC should be permitted to fulfill its crucial mission.