Manila:The Executive Committee of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has called for enhanced interagency collaboration to combat online radicalization and terrorism financing. This call was made during the 10th NTF-ELCAC Executive Committee meeting, convened by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace, where officials assessed the task force's progress and the implementation of the National Action Plan on Unity, Peace, and Development 2025-2028.
According to Philippines News Agency, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Danilo Pamonag urged various agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and National Bureau of Investigation, to bolster cybersecurity measures. This appeal comes amid reports that alleged terrorist front organizations are leveraging social media platforms to garner funds and resources for political and armed struggles.
Pamonag also recommended that the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and National Youth Commission create programs to engage young individuals and shield students from campus radicalization and recruitment. He reported that since 2022, 27,897 former members and supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) have reintegrated into society, receiving a combined PHP1 billion in assistance through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.
The National Amnesty Commission is processing 13,841 amnesty applications from former CPP-NPA-NDF members. Pamonag emphasized the need for member agencies to prioritize programs supporting the transformation of former members and facilitating their reintegration into mainstream society.
On the security front, the task force's Peace, Law Enforcement, and Development Support Cluster reported that sustained operations and peace-building initiatives have weakened communist terrorist groups, with 1,355 members reportedly neutralized this year. Among them, 1,227 surrendered, and 79 were killed in military operations. Additionally, authorities seized or recovered 49 firearms and 308 anti-personnel mines and dismantled 57 New People's Army encampments.
Furthermore, the task force reported that 33,381 villages in 62 provinces have achieved Stable Internal Peace and Security status, transitioning from conflict toward peace, democratic governance, and development. Through the Barangay Development Program, the government has implemented PHP44.9 billion worth of community development projects in 5,639 formerly conflict-affected villages, benefiting approximately 16 million people with initiatives such as classrooms, roads, water systems, health stations, streetlights, and electrification projects.
The NTF-ELCAC Executive Committee stated, "All these efforts are geared toward continually providing safer and developed communities to even far-flung areas that would be felt by Filipinos around the archipelago, hence debunking the lies spread by the CPP-NPA-NDF."
