Marcos reiterates NTF-ELCAC has to continue —NSC

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday again stressed that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has to be maintained amid calls for its abolition.

In a press conference, National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said Marcos made the statement during the executive committee meeting of the anti-insurgency task force.

“The President made it clear today that he will never abolish the NTF-ELCAC. The President as chairman of the NTF-ELCAC himself recognizes the success of the task force in decimating the terroristic activities of the (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front),” Malaya said.

“If I may quote the President this morning, ‘I’m encouraged by the reports, our efforts are bearing fruit, we have to continue. It has been successful and we need to continue to invest in its success,’” he added.

NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. said the executive committee recommended to Marcos to include other “local terror groups” in the Barangay Development Program (BDP) and not only the CPP-NPA-NDF.

“Just to contextualize, the beneficiaries of our BDP program are barangays that were formerly influenced by the CPP-NPA-NDF. Hindi po kasama yung mga barangays na dating na-impluwensyahan ng local terrorist group, meaning yung mga Abu Sayyaf Group, Dawla Islamiyah, pati [Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters],” Torres said.

(Not including the barangays that were formerly influenced by local terrorist groups, meaning the Abu Sayyaf Group, Dawla Islamiyah, and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.)

“But this morning, it was recommended by the executive committee to the President for the inclusion of such barangays that were cleared by our security forces from the local terrorist group, and there are 280 of those,” he added.

According to the NSC, Marcos ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to allocate an additional P5 million for each barangay development project this year. 

The National Expenditure Program (NEP) allocated P10 million per barangay in 2025 for 780 barangays cleared of NPA presence but the General Appropriations Act slashed this to P2.5 million per barangay.

Meanwhile, National Amnesty Commission (NAC) chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said 1,577 former NPA rebels and 2,481 more from other groups have applied for amnesty so far. 

“Insofar as the CPP-NPA-NDF is concerned, we have a total of 1,577 applicants out of the 2,233 combatants. And we have a total of 2,481 applicants from the four groups that are given by the President the opportunity or covered by the proclamation to apply for amnesty,” she said.

According to the NTF-ELCAC, there is only one remaining weakened guerilla front in the country which is operating in Camarines Sur. This group is expected to be declared dismantled this year.

“There is now only one remaining weakened guerrilla front in the province of Camarines Sur. Wala na pong ibang (there was no) active guerrilla front, weakened na lang at nasa Camarines Sur,” Malaya said.

“This remaining weakened guerrilla front will be dismantled within the year. At present, there are only 1,050 remaining NPA armed members scattered and isolated in some parts of the country,” he added. —RF, GMA Integrated News