The National Security Council (NSC) rejected all calls for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) saying that such calls are unfounded and uncalled for.
“The NTF-ELCAC has been the game changer in the battle against the New People’s Army and their allied and front organizations. Because of the NTF-ELCAC, the NPA has been strategically defeated with its last remaining nine weakened guerilla fronts with around 1,000 remaining armed members scattered in remote areas. Peace is finally within our reach,” NSC Asst. Director General Jonathan Malaya said.
He said that the Leftist groups have been adamant on their call for the NTF-ELCAC’S abolition because the government is well on its way to achieving complete victory against the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
“The Leftist groups clearly don’t want us to win against the CPP-NPA-NDF. They are anti-peace and anti-development. They clearly don’t want to see the end of the Communist insurgency in our country. Why? We should ask them,” he added.
Karapatan, Gabriela, and Human Rights Watch (HRW), among others, have made the calls after the Supreme Court (SC) declared red-tagging a threat to people’s life, liberty and security, and could warrant the issuance of a protection order.
Malaya, however, emphasized that the SC’s order did not mention the NTF-ELCAC as responsible for the red tagging.
“The Supreme Court never said that the NTF-ELCAC is a notorious red-tagger. In fact, the NTF-ELCAC is not a party to the case nor was it impleaded so why it is now being linked to this decision boggles the mind? It’s non sequitur,” Malaya said.
He also said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will never abolish a task force that has been very successful in bringing peace and development to remote areas of the country.
The President chairs the said task force.
“In the last NTF-ELCAC meeting in Malacañang, the President, as task force chairperson was very happy with the achievements of the NTF-ELCAC. In fact, he directed the task force to Immediately implement Amnesty Program, increase financial support to the 846 barangays under the NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Program, and directed the Cabinet to study the task force’s 2024-2028 Roadmap,” Malaya said.
“Does that sound like the NTF-ELCAC will be abolished? I don’t think so,” he added,
He added that in the decision, the SC explained that it is “not making a categorical ruling on the merits of the writ of amparo. Ultimately, the RTC must determine the relevance and consistency of the evidence presented by both parties.”
“So clearly, the Supreme Court was merely correcting a procedural lapse on the part of the Regional Trial Court and ordered the remanding of the case to the RTC for the conduct of summary hearing. The NTF-ELCAC has nothing to do with this case. Period,” the official said.
The SC held that the RTC erred in cursorily dismissing the case without requiring the respondent to file a return.