NTF-ELCAC pushes policy measures to continue addressing insurgency

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Committee has endorsed key policy measures with the aim to ensure more responsive governance at the national and local levels.

The endorsements were made during the 9th Executive Committee Meeting on Wednesday afternoon, which was led by President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace.

The committee recommended the proposed extension of the Amnesty Program, prioritization of critical legislation, expansion of development funding, and the enhancement of the task force mechanisms to guarantee a more responsive governance at the national and local levels.

“As the administration moves forward, the NTF-ELCAC calls on all stakeholders, government agencies, local government units, civil society, and the Filipino people to remain united in advancing a shared vision of a peaceful, secure, and progressive Philippines,” Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC executive director, said in a press release on Thursday. 

“Through unity, we overcome division. Through development, we eliminate the roots of conflict. And through collective action, we secure lasting peace for every Filipino,'' he added. 

Torres further said that while significant progress has been achieved, the task force recognizes that sustaining peace requires continuity, adaptation, and strengthened coordination.

The President sits as the chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, which comprises 12 clusters and partner agencies that address security, governance, infrastructure, and social services under a whole-of-nation approach to defeat local communist groups.

The NTF-ELCAC mechanism remains significant in sustaining development gains in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities, preventing radicalization, strengthening inter-agency coordination, ensuring accountability and rule of law, and promoting inclusive peacebuilding, reconciliation, and reintegration, Torres said. 

Meanwhile, the task force also provided the President with updates on the implementation of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) 2025-2028, which indicates the government’s whole-of-nation approach in addressing the root causes of insurgency. —VAL, GMA News