NTF-ELCAC, ATL, boost drive versus terrorism—DND

On Jun 6, 2022

Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana

THE creation in 2018 of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the enactment in 2020—and its subsequent affirmation of constitutionality by the Supreme Court– of the Anti-Terrorism Law (RA 11479), are two “major legacies” that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte would be bequeathing to the country when he steps down from office this coming June 30, 2022.

This was how Department of National Defense (DND) secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, summarized the impact of the two measures in the country’s continuing campaign against terrorism.

During the Duterte Legacy Summit in Pasay City last May 30, 2022, Lorenzana said the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 allowed law enforcement agencies to protect communities against terrorism, specifically committed by Muslim extremists affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) and those from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Lorenzana noted that thru the Barangay Development Program’ (BDP), the NTF-ELCAC provides development projects to barangays such as farm-to-market roads, schools, sanitation systems, irrigation or water projects, health stations and livelihood programs in former conflict- ridden communities, majority of them former havens of the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

Lorenzana said that in 2021, the BDP benefited a total of 822 villages, most of them in far-flung and geographically isolated areas of the country. He added the DBP is expected to benefit an additional 1,406 barangays for this year.

In terms of “neutralized” (captured, surrendered or died during combat operations) state enemies, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Lorenzana added, has neutralized 314 key officials of the CPP-NPA and dismantled a total of 56 of its terrorist bases since the start of the Duterte administration in 2016 until April 2022.

Aside from the CPP-NPA, Lorenzana, who is also chair of the Security Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster, said also neutralized were 1,544 members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), 971 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and 1,427 Dawlah Islamiyah (DI/ISIS) members from 2016 up to 2021.

Using its ‘whole of nation/whole of government’ (WON/WOG) strategy, the NTF-ELCAC is also credited for increasing public awareness on the dangers posed by CPP front organizations which are all active in the task of radicalizing Filipinos, especially the youth, to take up arms against the government.

This resulted in a substantial defeat for the CPP and its front groups when two of its partylist groups, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis, were voted out of Congress during the May 9, 2022 elections.