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Friday, March 29, 2024

24,000 rebels surrendered through NTF-ELCAC—Badoy

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The surrender of nearly 24,000 communist rebels is overwhelming proof of the success of a holistic being implemented by the National Task Force to End Local CommunistsArmed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), paving the way for a genuine and lasting peace, a Malacanang official said on Monday.

NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson for Sectoral Concerns and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy issued the observation during weekly virtual press conference, in response to remarks made by reelectionist Senator Leila de Lima who cited alleged failure of the task force.

“She must have been talking about herself as she is in a desperate situation. She’s (in jail) for being corrupt. Very unfit for national office,” Badoy said, referring to De Lima who served as Justice

Secretary during the Aquino administration and who has been detained in Camp Crame since 2017 for illegal drug trafficking.

Navy Captain Ferdinand Buscato, executive director of Task Force Balik Loob, reported that among the 23,641 former members of various Communist Terrorist Groups (CTG) who laid down arms, 2,052 were considered “violent extremists.”

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Most of the former communist rebels who surrendered, Buscato said, are now enjoying the fruits of their return to the folds of the law, as they have already been reintegrated to society with NTF-ELCAC’s assistance including livelihood for their families.

“We are also hoping that the next administration will continue these programs,” Buscato said.

Director Monico Batle, NTF-ELCAC action officer for Barangay Development Program (BDP), said the first batch of 822 barangays formerly exploited by the New People’s Army (NPA), are living peacefully, thanks to the various development projects already in place, funded through the BDP.

He said that the second batch of 1,406 barangays cleared of the CTGs were also expected to receive P20 million worth of projects despite the unilateral decision of the Senate to slash the BDP.

“The Department of Agriculture has agreed to shoulder P12 million intended for farm to market roads which are very important for this barangay even if it is only good for one kilometer.” while other projects would be shouldered directly by the local government units, Batle explained, as the Senate last year gave only P4 million instead of P20 million for each barangay.

“The third batch (of barangays) will also include those formerly called red areas even before the term of President Duterte began, covering the period from 2011 to 2015,” Batle said, adding that a

total of 1,550 barangays for the third batch were already included in the BDP.

He added that whoever will lead the country as the next President would be legally barred from interfering with these projects as they were already made into law and included in the General Appropriations Act.

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