Marcos will `never abolish’ NTF-Elcac 鈥� Malaya
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will `never abolish’ the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), a security council official said Wednesday, March 26, 2025. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will “never abolish” the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), a security council official said Wednesday.
National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya made the pronouncement in response to renewed calls to abolish the NTF-Elcac.
READ: Cocopea quits NTF-Elcac, cites academic freedom
“I am sorry to relay the bad news to them, that the President made it clear today that he will never abolish the NTF-Elcac,” said Malaya in a Palace press conference.
According to Malaya, Marcos, who also chairs the agency, recognizes the success achieved by the NTF-Elcac in “decimating the terrorist activities” of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDF).
“I am encouraged by the reports. Our efforts are bearing fruit. We have to continue. It has been successful and we need to continue to invest in its success,” Malaya quoted the Chief Executive as saying in a meeting.
With this, Malaya stressed that the NTF-Elcac brought the NPA to its “lowest point” for more than 50 years.
At present, only 1,050 remaining NPA armed members remain scattered and isolated in some parts of the country, reducing guerrilla fronts in the entire region from 89 to only one, he said.
Malaya assured the public that with these achievements, the CPP-NPA-NDF would no longer pose a significant threat to the upcoming May elections.
