NTF-ELCAC: Philippine Hosting of Landmark IHL Conference Underscores Commitment to Peace Through Law

August 14, 2025

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is elated by the country’s successful hosting of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the largest regional gathering on IHL to date. This unprecedented convergence underscores our government’s fundamental principle: the pursuit of lasting peace is inseparable from strict adherence to IHL – a core tenet embedded in the NTF-ELCAC’s mission and vision.

Our commitment to this principle is embodied in the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development (NAP-UPD). After more than six years of dedicated effort, the NAP-UPD has evolved beyond ending insurgency. It now proactively builds trust and goodwill, restores conflict-affected communities, and ensures security operations rigorously uphold human dignity and protect civilians – especially children, women, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups. It enforces the rule of law consistently, from remote areas to urban centers and within our institutions.

This steadfast commitment stands in stark contrast to the actions of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). Despite being reduced to splintered criminal remnants stripped of political legitimacy, the NPA persists in committing grave violations of IHL. Recent UN-verified data is unequivocal: during the latest review period, the UN Country Task Force documented 58 grave violations against 43 children in the Philippines. Non-State armed groups were responsible for 84% of these, with the NPA accounting for the highest number (24 violations). These included recruitment and use (22 violations), killing and maiming (25 violations), and attacks on schools and hospitals (7 violations). This is not propaganda; it is UN-verified evidence.

The horrific Masbate anti-personnel mine blast on June 6, 2021, which killed Keith and Nolven Absalon, exemplifies the NPA’s unlawful methods of warfare. This act, condemned by the DFA-led IHL Ad Hoc Committee as a violation of IHL, RA 9851, and the Ottawa Convention, and by the Commission on Human Rights, reflects a grim humanitarian reality: over 80% of anti-personnel mine victims globally are civilians (ICRC). Such systemic violations fuel our zero-tolerance stance towards the NPA’s tactics.

We trust these sobering realities, which directly challenge our pursuit of peace, will be addressed frankly at this conference. For the NTF-ELCAC, adhering to IHL within the NAP-UPD is not a formality; it is the indispensable foundation for legitimate, effective, and just peacebuilding.

We also welcome the Conference’s focus on emerging IHL challenges – cyber operations, autonomous weapons, and the weaponization of technology. These are not distant threats; they actively impact battlefields, civic spaces, and public discourse, with real consequences for national security and civilian protection.

The Philippines’ leadership in IHL is neither diplomatic posturing nor an “act of hypocrisy.” Our ratification of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, the enactment of RA 9851, and the institutionalization of the National IHL Committee demonstrate sustained, legal commitment. For the NTF-ELCAC, this means ensuring robust protection for conflict-affected communities everywhere – across our islands, in cyberspace, and within our institutions.

As the region’s premier IHL conference concludes in Makati, the NTF-ELCAC reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the government’s clear message: lasting peace and justice are indivisible. We pursue this goal within the framework of law, with accountability, and with absolute respect for every Filipino’s right to safety, dignity, and life.

Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr.

Executive Director, National Secretariat

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict