The National Security Council (NSC) on Friday touted the adoption of a memorandum institutionalizing the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) 2025 to 2028.

In a statement, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año welcomed Memorandum Circular No. 83, calling it a landmark policy directive that aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s national security agenda to foster inclusive peace, sustainable development, and genuine unity across the country.

Anchored on the National Security Policy 2023 to 2028 and the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028, the NAP-UPD operationalizes a whole-of-nation approach that is integrated, people-centered, and firmly rooted in human rights and democratic values.

It is a plan for peace and development that emphasizes governance reforms, social investment, and community-driven development.

It also empowers local governments and communities to resolve conflicts and build resilience.

Año explained that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), under civilian leadership, will implement the plan through inclusive consultations, localized peace engagements, and the institutionalization of unity, peace, and development centers nationwide.

"Contrary to the allegations of critics of the NTF ELCAC, the NAP-UPD neither imposes fascist solutions nor forecloses peaceful dialogue," Año said.

"In truth, it reflects a strategic shift: from reactive military response to proactive governance, development and civilian empowerment," he further stressed.

He added that the plan emphasizes that achieving lasting peace requires more than just military action.

"The plan recognizes that peace cannot be achieved through military means alone, and must be sustained by addressing the root causes of conflict such as poverty, lack of access to services, and social marginalization," the NSA pointed out.

Año said NTF-ELCAC initiatives have already helped reintegrate thousands of former rebels into society, brought roads and services to isolated barangays, and narrowed the space for insurgency to flourish.

He then rejected the allegation that NAP-UPD "shuts the door to peace negotiations," calling it blatantly false and irresponsible.

"The government has consistently maintained that localized peace dialogues, anchored on communities' needs and realities, are more effective than centralized, politicized, and repeatedly failed negotiations that have often been exploited by self-serving ideologues," he said.

"Moreover, we categorically reject any insinuation that the plan will be used to justify human rights abuses."

Año underscored that the government remains committed to upholding the rule of law, due process, and respect for civil liberties.

"What the NAP-UPD seeks is the empowerment of communities to reject violence and extremism in all its forms, through inclusive governance and shared accountability," he further pointed out.

"Ending armed conflict requires courage, clarity of purpose, and collective responsibility. The NAP-UPD is the framework that embodies that vision - and it deserves support, not sabotage," he added.