MANILA – Despite calls to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the Department of Interior and Local Government said Thursday there was a need to continue the task force and even strengthen it.  

“Napaka-epektibo ng programang ito, napakaganda po,” DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said during the budget briefing of his agency in the Senate on Thursday. 

“Dapat di lang ipagpatuloy ito, lakasan pa at tutukan pa lalo,” he added. 

NTF-ELCAC budget triples in 2025

NTF-ELCAC, according to its website, focuses on “defeating the local communist terrorist group and obtaining sustainable and inclusive peace throughout the Philippines.”

Sen. Robinhood Padilla asked Abalos if the DILG and the national police disagreed with the House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc’s stance that the NTF-ELCAC should be abolished. 

“Di ko alam ang posisyon ng Makabayan bloc,” Abalos said. “Ang masasabi ko lang ang mga tao ay nagbabalik-loob. At anomang nagawa nila laban sa gobyerno, at this is armed rebellion, nagkuha sila ng armas laban sa gobyerno at sila ay nagbabalik-loob na, dapat akapin natin sila at bigyan talaga natin ng assistance para magbagong buhay.” 

Marcos sees no need to abolish NTF-ELCAC

The 2025 proposed budget of the task force is P9.25 billion.