Distraction fails

While the revolutionary movement started during the term of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., it would be fitting that it will end during the incumbency of his son.

By the end of the year, the armed component of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) will be history based on the timeline of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) which, considering the agency’s latest achievement, is not mere big talk.

What remains of the pernicious armed rebellion are five weakened guerrilla fronts in the entire country out of the 89 at the height of the conflict in the 1970s.

The successes resulted from the whole-of-government approach through the NTF-ELCAC, which was the reason for the aggressive efforts of left-leaning groups to dismantle the body.

“NTF-ELCAC” will make sure that during the Marcos administration we will completely crush these peace spoilers,” said National Security Adviser and NTF-ELCAC Co-Vice Chairperson Eduardo Año during a recent meeting with members of the media.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been successful in destroying the politico-military component of all the 89 active NPA guerrilla fronts since 2018 when the NTF-ELCAC was created under Executive Order 70.

“We expect the remaining fronts to be dismantled within this year or the next,” Año said.

He said an area is considered liberated when all armed components of the left-wing rebels are neutralized.

The NTF-ELCAC in close collaboration with different government agencies, local government units, and the security sector caused the surrender of 44,528 communist party members, supporters and sympathizers, neutralized 37 key leaders.

Yet, the body works for a peaceful solution. The NTF-ELCAC’s current pursuit is to urge the NPA rebels to avail of the amnesty program offered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. so they could live in peace with their families.

“Renounce terrorism, lay down your arms, abandon the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA, and take advantage of the amnesty being offered by President Marcos. Return to the fold of the law and live in peace with your families,” NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said at the meeting with the media.

The NPA were given until 4 March 2026 to lay down their arms, or two years since Congress concurred with the amnesty proclamations.

The NTF-ELCAC’s focus remains on preventing a resurgence of terror activities, including the grooming of recruits.

Año compared the vigilance to the vaccinations against the pandemic that needed to be boosted periodically to prevent a recurrence of the disease.

“Complacency can undermine the progress made and jeopardize the security of the areas,” Torres said.

Over 400 NPA rebels have been dealt with this year either through their surrender or being neutralized, reducing the group’s strength to approximately 1,000 individuals.

“By prioritizing prevention, protection, and resource management, communities can mitigate the risks of recruitment and exploitation by armed groups, thereby fostering long-term peace and stability,” Torres noted.

Security officials indicated that the end of the communist movement came at an opportune time to allow the armed services to concentrate on external threats.

The NTF-ELCAC’s gains were reflected in the declaration of insurgency-free status for provinces like Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya, and parts of Isabela.

Government forces have dismantled multiple “communist terrorist group” units, indicating ongoing efforts to address internal security challenges.

The NTC-ELCAC’s creation in 2018 was credited for the elimination of so-called “mass bases” that led to the weakening and subsequent dismantling of guerrilla fronts.

The NPA-cleared areas mean the loss of the armed struggle of its resource generation capability.

“More significant is that the loss of support means that residents become the source of information against the NPAs,” Torres added.

He said that another characteristic of an area that had its guerrilla front dismantled is the elimination of the NPA’s politico-military structure and the degradation of its capabilities to launch violent activities.

Torres said the implementation of the Local Peace Engagement and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Programs work together to encourage NPA remnants to lay down their arms, surrender peacefully, and abandon the communist movement.

All efforts to abolish the NTF-ELCAC are panicked reactions to the looming demise of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front.