EDITORIAL - NTF-ELCAC abolition

The government believes “total victory” over communist rebels is possible this year, according to Jonathan Malaya, the assistant director general for strategic communications of the National Security Council. If this happens, the NSC official said, there will be no more use for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

It was Malaya’s comment on the call of Irene Khan for the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC. Khan, United Nations special rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion, made the suggestion at the end of a 10-day visit in the Philippines, which included being briefed on the work of the task force.

Progressive groups and human rights advocates have called for the abolition of the controversial NTF-ELCAC, saying its red-tagging endangered lives. The government, on the other hand, credits the task force for, among others, neutralizing even the political and socioeconomic influence of the communist movement.

Officials of the task force and other security agencies, who immediately rejected Khan’s suggestion, have lamented that after only 10 days in the country, she is professing solutions to a decades-old armed conflict. The officials have cited the contribution of the NTF-ELCAC to the achievement of “strategic victory” over communist rebels as of 2022. The death of the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Jose Maria Sison, as well as top commanders of the New People’s Army have also contributed to the weakening of the rebellion.

Victory over an insurgency, however, is best achieved when people see no need to take up arms against the state. The Marcos administration is conducting exploratory talks on the revival of formal talks with the communists, with the aim of forging lasting peace.

The Department of Justice, commenting on Khan’s suggestion, said the NTF-ELCAC would eventually give way to a “peace and security council when the time is right.” This is similar to the pronouncement of Malaya. Being a task force, the NTF-ELCAC is not constituted to be a permanent body. Upon its abolition, the government must ensure that the roots of the rebellion are sufficiently addressed, to prevent a resurgence. These include social injustice, abuse of state power, underdevelopment and bad governance.