March 28, 2026

For more than five decades, the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) has cast a long shadow over our nation—marked by cycles of violence, displacement, deception, and lost opportunities for countless Filipino families. Entire communities have borne the weight of a conflict that promised liberation but delivered suffering, division, and fear.

As the NPA marks its 57th year, the Filipino people are confronted with a stark and sobering truth: what they celebrate is not progress, but a legacy of bloodshed. For 57 years, they have offered nothing but violence disguised as ideology, communities torn apart in the name of revolution, and generations of Filipinos misled into a futile struggle that has only deepened poverty and suffering.

There is nothing to celebrate in a movement that thrives on fear, recruits the young through deception, and sustains itself by exploiting the very people it claims to serve.

Today, however, a decisive shift is unfolding across the country.

From the farthest barangays to our urban centers, Filipinos are choosing peace—freely, consciously, and in growing numbers. Former rebels are laying down arms. Families are being reunited. Communities once gripped by fear are reclaiming their future through development, dialogue, and democratic participation.

These are not isolated victories—they are clear, measurable signs of a nation moving forward together.

The Filipino people are now more united than ever in bringing this 57-year conflict to its rightful end.

This is no longer simply a security campaign—it is a whole-of-nation movement anchored on truth, justice, and genuine opportunity. It is a recognition that lasting peace cannot be imposed by force, but must be built through trust, inclusive governance, and the protection of every Filipino’s dignity.

At the same time, we must remain vigilant.

At the heart of this effort is a shared responsibility: to protect the vulnerable—especially our youth—from destructive and deceptive ideologies that exploit grievances, distort realities, and lead individuals down a path of violence.

For decades, recruitment has not begun with armed struggle, but with manipulation—through misinformation, emotional coercion, and the systematic erosion of critical thinking- the trademarks of Terrorist-Grooming.

We must confront this not with suppression, but with truth.

We must answer falsehood with facts.

We must counter division with unity.

We must replace fear with hope grounded in real opportunities for education, livelihood, and participation in nation-building.

Peace, in this context, is not passive. It is an active, daily choice—one that demands vigilance, courage, and collective action.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) calls on all sectors—government agencies, local government units, civil society organizations, academic institutions, faith-based groups, the private sector, and the Filipino people—to stand together in this final push for lasting peace.

Let us strengthen platforms for dialogue and reconciliation.

Let us listen to the voices of former rebels who chose to return to the fold of the law.

Let us support parents and families working to guide their children away from pathways of radicalization.

Let us honor the victims of violence by ensuring that no Filipino is ever again misled into a life of conflict.

This is a defining moment for our nation.

The path forward is clear: a future built not on armed struggle, but on shared responsibility; not on ideology imposed by force, but on democratic values tested by truth; and not on division, but on unity in diversity.

Peace is at hand—and it is ours to sustain.

Together, let us secure a just and lasting peace for this generation and for those yet to come.

Usec. Ernesto C. Torres Jr.

Executive Director, NTF-ELCAC