The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has tapped the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) as its newest member. 

In a Palace press briefing, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto Torres Jr. said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the inclusion of the group as one of the two private representatives of the task force.

COCOPEA has a membership of at least 1,500 Catholic private schools across the country, according to Torres.

"It would broaden the base of our information awareness campaign and information and education campaign pertaining to matters related to terror grooming of organizations like CPP NPA NDF,"  he said.

 According to Torres, the move is not only for students but for Filipinos to exercise their right to an informed choice.

“Hindi naman pupwede na ‘yung basis ng information nila is thru deception or mga untruths about certain organization and personalities,” the official added.

When asked how the anti-terrorism lectures in private schools will happen, Torres explained that the two clusters of the task force specializing on information awareness campaign would craft the guidelines in launching a “rules-based, human rights-based approach.”

 Amid concerns on potential “red-tagging”, the government maintains its position that such is “legally inexistent”.

 “It is an invention of the CPP-NPA-NDF to demonize and to put a bad picture on the unmasking of the government of the real identities of the affliates of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” said Atty. James Clifford Santos of the Office of the Solicitor General. 

The NTF-ELCAC held its 6th executive committee meeting on Friday, November 8, where they presented to Marcos Jr. the draft of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development which aims to focus on socio-economic development in its fight against insurgency.

 EXTORTION IN ELECTIONS?

AFP Chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said the communist rebels have significantly weakened over the years.

 He noted that the number of New People’s Army’s members has gone down to about 1,111 this year from 2,200 last year.

 Those who have yet to yield are allegedly delaying their surrender to extort money in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

 "They always have this money-making scheme. Nangongolekta sila ng permit to campaign at permit to win,“ Brawner said.

The AFP chief appeals to candidates not to transact with communist rebels.

"Ang pakiusap namin sa ating mga kandidato ay huwag pong magbayad ng permit to campaign or permit to win sa kahit na sinumang miyembro ng NPA or ‘yung mga nagpapanggap na miyembro ng NPA," Brawner added.

‘ZERO’ BY YEAREND

Both the AFP and the NTF-ELCAC said there is no active guerilla front in the country at the moment.

They claimed that there are only four remaining “weakened” guerilla fronts across the archipelago — 2 in Northern Luzon, 1 in Southern Luzon, and another in Visayas. 

Brawner aims to dismantle all guerrilla fronts by the end of 2024. 

“We are expecting that by the end of the year, we will have finished all the guerilla fronts. We will have reduced them to zero,” Brawner said.