Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 8) — The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has no plans to scrap the government’s controversial anti-insurgency task force, an official of the National Security Council said on Friday.
Citing online chatter, Deputy National Security Adviser-designate Rommel Banlaoi denied any move to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Banlaoi was a defense analyst and academician before he joined the NSC.
“I’m here to clarify some issues being spread on social media about the status of (NTF) ELCAC,” Banlaoi told reporters in a press briefing.
“Wala pong katotohanan na hihinto ‘to (It is not true we will end this). We will continue (NTF) ELCAC,” Banlaoi said, adding, “We will intensify our efforts in order to further improve (on) how to implement (it) at the grassroot level.”
However, the task force will have to undergo “streamlining and reorganization” in compliance with Malacañang’s Executive Order No. 1, which seeks to cut down bureaucracy and simplify operational services of government agencies.
“(One of the) marching orders (of) Dr Clarita Carlos as national security adviser is to simplify the structure (of NTF-ELCAC),” Banlaoi explained, though the body has yet to announce its new composition.
He added that they hope to pick up from the gains of the previous administration, which created the task force in 2018, and sustain the impact of significant accomplishments in the government’s continuing campaign to end a five-decade old insurgency.
“This is still a work in progress but all these efforts are geared to improve and enhance the implementation of (NTF) ELCAC,” Banlaoi said.
He also reiterated Carlo’s earlier pronouncements against the “counterproductive” practice of red-tagging— or associating groups or individuals to the communist movement.
“Yung labeling hindi po maganda. Kaparis ko po ayokong ma-label na pro-China (or) pro-US. Kung may labeling man na dapat ibigay sa akin ay pro-Filipino,” Banlaoi pointed out.
[Translation: Putting labels is not good. Like me, I don’t want to be labeled as pro-China (or) pro-US. I should instead be labeled as pro-Filipino.”]
While the task force will be “more cautious and more prudent” in its approach to counterinsurgency, it won’t hesitate to go after those suspected of resorting to actions that “finance, encourage, facilitate, train (and) recruit (people to be) engaged in armed activities,” he added, citing provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
“My message is to remain legal. And be not part of the support network of the armed activities of the New People’s Army (NPA),” Banlaoi said, referring to the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
