Abalos wants NTF-ELCAC strengthened amid abolition calls

Amid repeated calls to abolish it, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. on Thursday said the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) should be strengthened instead of being dissolved.

"Para sa akin, hindi lang dapat ipagpatuloy ito. Lakasan pa at tutukan pa lalo para mapakita sa kanila hindi sila nagsisisi. Naniwala sila na talagang magbagong buhay sila. 'Yan po ang take ko rito," Abalos said.

(For me, it should not just be continued, it should also be strengthened and given more focus to show the surrenderers that they won't regret their decision. They believed that they could truly turn their lives around. That's my take on this.)

The Interior secretary made the remark when asked by Senator Robin Padilla about his opinion on the call of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives to abolish the NTF-ELCAC.

"Ako ang nagpapatunay na napakaepektibo ng programang ito. Napakaganda po. 'Yung talagang nangangailangan ng tulong ay napupunta sa kanila direktamenta ang pera," Abalos said.

(I can attest that this program is extremely effective. It's really great. The funds directly reach those who surrendered to the government.)

"Nakaagapay pa agad ang iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno kasi nga gusto na po nila magbalik loob," he added.

(Different government agencies are also giving them immediate assistance because they wanted to surrender.)

For his part, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rommel Marbil said the NTF-ELCAC helped the police force in encouraging the communist rebels to return to the fold of the law.

"Ang karamihan po ng nahuhuli po nating rebelde, they are misinformed. That’s really a problem natin kasi akala nila 'yung gobyerno natin ganito, pero pag na-inform sila 'Uy ang ganda ng gobyerno' I think it’s a really big help for us na i-maintain natin ang NTF-ELCAC na fund," Marbil said.

(Most of the rebels we capture were misinformed. That's really a problem for us because they think our government is like this, but when they're informed, they're like, "Wow, the government is great!" I think it's a really big help for us to maintain the NTF-ELCAC fund.)

Asked if the DILG and the PNP would help in condoning the proposal of the Makabayan bloc to abolish NTF-ELCAC, Abalos said, "'Di ko alam ang position ng Makabayan bloc. Ang masasabi ko lang, ang mga tao ay nagbabalik loob, kung anumang nagawa nila laban sa gobyerno and this is armed rebellion, humawak sila ng armas para labanan ang gobyerno at sila ay nagbabalik-loob na."

(I'm not aware of Makabayan bloc's position. All I can say is that they decided to return to the fold, regardless of what they did against the government which is armed rebellion. They took up arms to fight the government and now they wanted to return.)

"Dapat lamang akapin natin sila at bigyan talaga natin sila ng assistance para magbagong buhay. At siguro isa pa rito dapat tanggalin ang branding na dati kang rebelde. Dapat maski sa trabaho, hanggang sa anak nila sa eskwelahan," he went on.

(We should accept them and give them assistance to help them change their lives. And perhaps another thing we need to do is erase the branding that they were rebels. This should apply not just to their work, but even to their children who are attending schools.)

The proposed budget for the anti-insurgency task force for 2025 is set at P9.25 billion. Of which, P7.83 billion was allocated for Barangay Development Program (BDP) wherein 780 villages will be given P10 million each.

In the latest budget deliberations at the House of Representatives, Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel proposed to cut the P7.8 billion funding for the NTF-ELCAC's BDP in 2025 due to the low utilization of its budget this year.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas also called to defund and abolish NTF-ELCAC, claiming that it is being used against activists.

In May, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. maintained that the NTF-ELCAC would not be abolished.

Marcos made the remark following the Supreme Court's ruling that red-tagging threatens a person's life and liberty.

The President also said the NTF-ELCAC would continue to cleanse the remaining barangays from insurgency.—AOL, GMA Integrated News