Kiko Pangilinan: Strengthen AFP, abolish NTF-ELCAC

CEBU —Former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said on Wednesday that he wants to strengthen the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) instead of having a task force deal with insurgency in the country. 

“Let’s just strengthen the Armed Forces of the Philippines and not have a separate task force. Let the AFP do its job, together with the other agencies and departments of government,” he said in a forum in Cebu City. 

“I’m not in favor of the insurgency, I believe that there are approaches that are more effective,” he added. 

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

According to the National Security Council, Marcos ordered the Department of Budget and Management 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 the presence of communist rebels, but the General Appropriations Act slashed this to P2.5 million per barangay.  

According to the task force, there is only one remaining weakened guerrilla front in the country, which is operating in Camarines Sur. This group is expected to be declared dismantled this year. —LDF, GMA Integrated News