NTF-ELCAC, Anti-Terrorism Act crucial to PH fight vs. insurgency

From the Philippine News Agency (May 30, 2022): NTF-ELCAC, Anti-Terrorism Act crucial to PH fight vs. insurgency (By Priam Nepomuceno)

Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana

The creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act are two of the major legacies of the Duterte administration in eliminating the threats of terrorism and the decades-long insurgency.

During the Duterte Legacy Summit in Pasay City Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 allowed law enforcement agencies to protect communities against terrorism.

The NTF-LECAC, created through Executive Order 70, also uses the whole-of-nation approach in addressing communist insurgency.

Lorenzana said through its Barangay Development Program (BDP), the NTF-ELCAC provides development projects to barangays such as farm-to-market roads, schools, sanitation systems, irrigation or water projects, health stations and livelihood programs in former conflict ridden communities.

Latest data show that around 822 barangays have benefitted from the BDP as of 2021.

For 2022, another 1,406 barangays are targeted to benefit from the BDP, Lorenzana added.

He said at least 56 New People's Army (NPA) guerilla fronts have been dismantled or cleared from the start of the Duterte administration in 2016 until April this year.

"Sa dako naman ng AFP, tayo ay nagsasagawa ng mga operasyon laban sa NPA at ibang local terrorists, nalinis natin ang limampu't anim guerrilla fronts (ng) NPA (On the AFP, we have conducted operations against the NPA and other local terrorist groups, we have so far cleared 56 guerilla fronts of the NPA)," Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana, who is also chair of the Security Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster, said neutralized were about 314 key and ranking leaders of the communist terrorist group; 1,544 members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group, 971 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and 1,427 Dawlah Islamiyah members from 2016 up to 2021.

Neutralized refers to terrorist members who was surrendered, captured or killed by security forces.

Lorenzana added that the largest effort by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against local terrorist groups took place during the siege of Marawi City in 2017.

The summit promotes the landmark programs and achievements of the Duterte administration.

Some Cabinet officials presented to the public their accomplishments, policies, and projects that improved the lives of Filipinos over the past six years.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1175394