March 09, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) joins the nation in celebrating National Women’s Month 2026 under the theme, “Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas!” We honor the legacy of the Babaylans- the fearless healers, leaders, and guardians of pre-colonial communities. Their spirit lives on in the millions of Filipino women who today lead our families, communities, and nation toward progress and peace. Yet, true empowerment requir

25 February 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) expresses full support for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) as it proceeds with the February 26, 2026 disqualification hearing against Kabataan Partylist. This hearing is not political theater. It is due process. Recent incidents involving youth linked to Kabataan-affiliated networks reinforce a disturbing pattern: ideological grooming that begins in campuses and ends in armed insu

February 12, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict takes serious note of the recent speech delivered by Julieta de Lima before the League of Filipino Students during its 21st National Congress. Let us be clear: activism is not the issue. Debate is not the issue. Criticism of government is not the issue. What concerns us is the open call to strengthen recruitment and ideological consolidation in support of a movement that has long pursued armed rev

06 February 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) strongly condemns the cold-blooded killing of Leonor, 74 years old, in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. This was not a robbery, not an accident, and not “revolutionary justice.” This was an execution. Leonor was spy-tagged, branded as a “spy”, and then killed. By accounts on the ground, the attackers openly identified themselves as members of the New People’s Army (NPA), deliberately

January 31, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict confirms that Filipino-American Chantal Anicoche departed the Philippines, following an Order to Leave issued by the Bureau of Immigration and after lawful processing and inter-agency coordination. This development concludes the Philippine government’s security and administrative handling of her situation. Chantal was found alive near the site of the January 1 armed encounter between government for

January 22, 2026 In a well written Judgment dated January 14, 2026, penned by Presiding Judge Georgina Uy Perez, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 45 of Tacloban City has found Marielle A. Domequil and Frenchie Mae C. Cumpio GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT for Violation of Section 8(iii) of Republic Act No. 10168, or the “Terrorism and Financing and Suppression Act of 2012”. Both Domequil and Cumpio were convicted and sentenced to suffer imprisonment from twelve (12) years

January 22, 2026 We welcome and respect the ruling of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 45, Tacloban City, an anti-terrorism designated court, convicting Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil for Terrorism Financing under Republic Act No. 10168, while acquitting them of the separate charge of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. This decision, rendered by Presiding Judge Georgina Perez, is a clear affirmation that our justice system is working exactly as it shoul

January 21, 2026 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) welcomes the resumption of hearings before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the Petition for Cancellation of Registration filed against Kabataan Party-List, docketed as Republic of the Philippines, represented by the NTF-ELCAC v. Kabataan Party-List, SPP No. 21-289. After more than two years since the proceedings were last actively heard, the presentation of the Republic’s first

January 05, 2026 The armed encounters in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on January 1 have been widely reported, but too often without the context that explains why the operation happened and who has been affected. We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Jerlyn Rose Doydora. No family should have to bury a child, and no young Filipino should be lured away from school and home into armed conflict. At the same time, we must be honest about what current informati

20 December 2025 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict welcomes the recent ruling of the Court of Appeals that affirmed a Regional Trial Court’s conviction in the Talaingod 13 case. It is, above all, a victory not just for the Lumad communities of Mindanao, but for all indigenous peoples across the country. For more than three decades, many Lumad communities have been treated as pawns by the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National

December 18, 2025 We thank Caritas Philippines and the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace (ECSA-JP) for opening space for principled public dialogue by raising questions on the proposed ₱8.08 billion allocation related to ending local communist armed conflict. Such scrutiny is part of democratic life, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) engages it in good faith. At the outset, however, a clear correction must be

December 16, 2025 As Filipinos celebrate Christmas and the New Year, the NTF-ELCAC reaffirms that true peace demands accountability, not performative gestures. The Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) declaration of a unilateral ceasefire is hollow and unverifiable. It was not coordinated with the government and lacks any accountability mechanism. Worse, the CPP itself orders NPA units to remain in “active defense mode” and on “high alert.” This is not peace, it is a tac