NTF-ELCAC: “Don’t Dismantle the Peace the People Fought For”

July 16, 2025

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has issued a powerful defense of its mandate, urging critics, media, and civil society to look beyond “recycled outrage” and recognize the hard-earned peace secured over the past six years.

In a strongly worded statement, Executive Director Ernesto C. Torres Jr. warned against what he called a “narrative war” that downplays progress and exploits only the sensational, especially in light of recent criticisms from the United Nations Special Rapporteur.

“There is nothing for us to gain, and so much to lose, if we allow the hard-won gains of the past six years to fall victim to narratives that dwell only on the dramatic and ignore the substance,” Torres declared, emphasizing that peace is not an overnight miracle but the result of painstaking work and inter-agency coordination.

Citing the 18-place jump of the Philippines in the World Press Freedom Index and the zero journalist killings recorded in 2024, Torres lamented that these achievements were largely ignored in mainstream discourse. He also pointed to the creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings through Administrative Order No. 35 as proof of the government’s genuine human rights reforms.

“What remains buried beneath louder headlines,” the statement reads, “are the voices of former rebels, of grieving parents, and of communities finally freed from decades of exploitation and fear.”

Torres challenged media professionals to fulfill their duty to “seek the whole truth” and not reduce complex peace-building efforts into hashtags or slogans. “Journalism,” he said, “is not just about amplifying outrage, but about listening to those too often dismissed as ‘collateral damage.’”

While acknowledging that NTF-ELCAC remains the subject of intense attacks from the CPP-NPA-NDF and their urban networks, Torres said these criticisms are “expected” and called on all stakeholders to assess the evolving nature of the Task Force. Once heavily security-focused, NTF-ELCAC has since transitioned toward inclusive development and localized peace initiatives.

“To abolish the Task Force now,” he warned, “would be to rush a hard-earned victory that is still taking root. And it is the next generation who will pay the price.”

Calling for constructive engagement, Torres invited even the Task Force’s fiercest critics to witness the transformation on the ground and listen to the stories behind the statistics. “Kung tunay ang malasakit, sana’y mas marami ang makinig kaysa maghusga,” he said.

As the fight against armed communist insurgency nears its decisive end, Torres concluded with a reminder: “The real test of progress is not in the noise we make, but in the peace our people finally enjoy.”

NTF-ELCAC MEDIA BUREAU

Ref: Dr. Joel M. Sy Egco, PhD, MPSA

09155506969