MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday expressed hope that the next president of the country will continue to implement the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).
President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 issued Executive Order No. 70, creating the NTF-Elcac, in a bid to end the over 50 years of rebellion in the countryside.
“Sana ‘yung next pangulo, kung sino man iyon, ay kanya ring ipagpatuloy itong matagumpay na accomplishments ng NTF-Elcac. Marami na po ang nagbalik-loob sa pamahalaan. Marami na po ang nagbalik-loob sa gobyerno,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said during the Palace press briefing.
(I hope the next president, whoever he/she is, will continue the success of NTF-Elcac’s accomplishments. Many rebels returned to the government.)
“Lahat ng mga nagbalik-loob ay nabibigyan po ng tamang suporta, tulong, assistance, kabuhayan, libreng pabahay mula kay Pangulong Duterte na siya ang chair ng ating NTF-Elcac,” the acting presidential spokesperson continued.
(All those who returned were given proper support, help, assistance, livelihood, free housing from President Duterte who is the chair of NTF-Elcac.)
Nograles said that the NTF and Regional Task Force-Elcac are “successful” in providing opportunities for rebels who turned away from rebellion.
“Gaya ng sinabi ko kanina, naging matagumpay po ‘yung NTF-Elcac at ang mga Regional Task Force-ELCAC sa pagbibigay ng maraming opportunities for many of the former rebels, mga rebelde dati na magbalik-loob,” he said.
(Like I earlier said, NTF-Elcac and the Regional Task Force-Elcac were successful in giving many opportunities for many of the former rebels, rebels that returned to the government.)
The NTF-Elcac has caused uproar for red-tagging individuals including Ana Patricia Non — the pioneer of community pantries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other activists and even celebrities.
It was also previously uncovered in the Senate that only 26 of the 2,318 NTF-Elcac projects were completed.