ILOILO City – Officials in Western Visayas oppose calls for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), asserting that the initiative remains crucial in addressing insurgency.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas press conference on March 19, Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, spokesperson for the Regional Task Force ELCAC 6, denounced a party-list representative’s call to dissolve the taskforce, describing it as a “betrayal of the Constitution and the Filipino people.”
“For a government official to call for the abolition of NTF-ELCAC is very unethical. The success of NTF-ELCAC speaks for itself. Calling for its dissolution is like saying we should stop the most effective government program in addressing insurgency,” Gonzales said.
Positive Impact on Conflict Areas
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 6 director Juan Jovian Ingeniero highlighted the significant changes in conflict-affected areas since NTF-ELCAC’s implementation, noting that over 100 former rebels surrendered and reintegrated into society in 2024 alone.
“The formula for peace is not just military intervention. For 50 years, we left it to the military to solve the insurgency problem, yet the issue persisted. But when Executive Order 70 created the National and Regional Task Forces, we introduced a new approach — peace and development-focused intervention,” Ingeniero explained.
Through the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP), he added, local governments have been able to provide essential services and infrastructure to former insurgency-affected communities.
“Before, people in these areas felt neglected by the government. But now, with the support of local government units, the military, the police, and various government agencies, they feel heard. We have seen insurgency numbers drop from 1,500 rebels to just 55 in Region 6. This proves that NTF-ELCAC is effective,” Ingeniero emphasized.
Military and PNP Stress Holistic Approach
Colonel Erwin Rommel Lamzon, assistant division commander for administration of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, underscored that addressing insurgency requires more than military action.
“Before, rebels who surrendered were left without proper support. But through EO 70 and NTF-ELCAC, we realized that there is life after surrender. Now, former rebels receive livelihood, free education, and assistance to rebuild their lives,” Lamzon said.
He emphasized the importance of local peace engagements, with the involvement of DILG and local government units, in reclaiming insurgency-affected communities.
Meanwhile, Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Regional Operations Division chief of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), pointed to the visible impact of NTF-ELCAC on public services and infrastructure development.
“We have seen the transformation of remote communities. There are now roads connecting Antique to Capiz and Iloilo, and schools built in areas that were once rebel-influenced,” Gorero said.
He also noted how former rebels, who once distrusted the government, have come to recognize its support through NTF-ELCAC programs.
“The whole-of-government approach is working. If there’s a better formula, introduce it. But as of now, NTF-ELCAC is the best platform we have to end insurgency,” Gorero said./PN
