September 20, 2026 The NTF-ELCAC through its Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC), welcomes the Office of the Ombudsman's decision dismissing all criminal and administrative complaints against government, military, and police officers filed by Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro. The Ombudsman ruled that Tamano and Castro failed to present the required evidence to prove their claims of arbitrary detention, grave coercion, and related violations. This decision follows the Court of Appea

September 10, 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Danilo G. Pamonag officially took his oath as Executive Director of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) National Secretariat in a ceremony presided over by Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto. The swearing-in marks a strategic milestone in the government's "Whole-of-Nation" approach to achieving unity, peace, and development a

“Insurgency ends where the road begins." Occidental Mindoro Lone District Rep. Leody “Odie” Tarriela said that the province's dramatic economic turnaround—from 2.1 percent growth to a nation-leading 11.2 percent—offers compelling evidence that bringing roads, electricity, livelihoods and basic government services to formerly conflict-affected communities can break the cycle of poverty and insurgency. Speaking at a FAQCheck press conference, Tarriela said the province’s transf

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) recently gave a briefing for a Senior Human Rights Adviser of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) on human rights abuses committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), particularly the "spy-tagging", summary executions and arbitrary killings of civilians. The engagement, led by NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Danilo

August 28, 2026 Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon said Thursday that the Philippines’ historic achievement of single-digit poverty at 9.7% — reached three years ahead of the 2028 target — is far more than an economic milestone: it is the most powerful tool against insurgency the country has seen in recent years. At a FAQCheck press conference, Gadon said progress in poverty reduction directly undercuts the root cause armed groups have long exploited to

August 23, 2026 The Barangay Development Program (BDP), the flagship peace and development initiative of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), has become a vital engine in the country’s poverty reduction efforts — and must be strengthened and expanded to reach more communities. National Anti-Poverty Commission Lead Convenor Secretary Lope Santos III said this at the FAQCheck online press conference Wednesday, pointing to significant progre

August 14, 2026 MANILA — Newly installed National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Executive Director, Undersecretary Danilo Pamonag, has laid down a clear direction for the next phase of the government’s peace and development campaign: a Philippines where no Filipino child will ever again grow up in the shadow of armed conflict. Formally taking the helm of the NTF-ELCAC, Pamonag called on government agencies, local chief executives, security force

August 07, 2026 QUEZON CITY — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) called for sharper, collective commitment to sustain peace gains and address shortcomings, setting a determined course for genuine and lasting development at the close of its three-day First Semester CY 2026 Accomplishment Reporting and Strategic Planning Workshop, Thursday. In his closing message delivered by Deputy Director General Benjamin Madrigal, National Security Adv

June 15, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has designated National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson Nancy Alaan Catamco and National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Lead Convenor Secretary Lope B. Santos III as the government's new grassroots development and empowerment leaders, placing indigenous peoples and the country's basic sectors at the forefront of the Task Force's unity, peace and development campaign. Th

May 10, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) welcomes and deeply appreciates the clear, courageous, and principled statement of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson affirming the legitimacy of the April 19 Toboso encounter between government troops and remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA). The governor’s declaration carries profound weight because it comes from the highest elected official of Negros Occidental himself — a

May 06, 2026 Southern Leyte was officially declared under a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC) on May 5, 2026, marking a major milestone in the government’s campaign to end local communist armed conflict. The achievement was made possible through the sustained operations of the 93rd Infantry Battalion (93IB), 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, under the operational control of the 802nd Brigade, in close coordination with LGUs, national government agenci

May 06, 2026 The National Security Council (NSC) has firmly rejected any move to revive national-level peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), declaring that such talks no longer reflect the will or interests of the Filipino people. In a strongly worded statement, National Security Adviser Eduardo SL Oban Jr. backed Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., affirming that reopening talks with w

April 30, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Thursday said the planned congressional inquiry into the April 19 encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental must result in concrete legislative measures that will prevent similar incidents, especially those involving the youth. The statement followed the filing of House Resolution No. 968 seeking an investigation into the clash between government troops and members of the New People’s Arm

April 24, 2026 Giving more former rebels the chance to rebuild their lives and return to mainstream society, the NTF-ELCAC Executive Committee (EXECOM) has formally endorsed the extension of the Amnesty Program for another two years, a move fully backed by President Marcos Jr. NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. reported during the FAQCheck press conference on Thursday that while the program technically ended last March 13, the proposal from the N

March 29, 2026 On the eve of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) 57th anniversary, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) delivered a blunt message: there is nothing worth celebrating in a movement built on decades of violence, deception, and shattered communities. In a strongly worded statement, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto C. Torres Jr. said the CPP-NPA-NDF’s anniversary should instead be a moment of national reckoning. “For 57 yea