Elcac to wipe out NPA 'within the year'

From the Manila Times (May 12, 2023): Elcac to wipe out NPA 'within the year' (By Kristina Maralit and Franco Jose C. Baroña)

(UPDATE) THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) has vowed to eradicate the remaining New People's Army (NPA) "within the year."

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino made the pronouncement Wednesday, assuring that the military "has sufficient forces to address these threats."

The task force said 20 of the 22 known communist fronts "have been weakened." The two remaining in Northern Samar are "the subject of focused military operations and development efforts by the NTF-Elcac agencies," it said.

"We have deployed forces and added battalions of infantry units to Samar to help in our campaign there," Centino said in a briefing.

"Within the year, we will be able to address these remaining active fronts, although we are still chasing after those what we call as weakened. We have sufficient forces to address these threats," he added.

Malacañang earlier reorganized the task force in a change of strategy to address the country's decades-old problem with the insurgency.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the NTF-Elcac is shifting from its "aggressive" policy to become "bringers of peace."

The task force has President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as chairman, while Año and Vice President Sara Duterte are the co-vice chairmen.

Año said he recommended the designation of the vice president during the Executive Committee meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Wednesday.

"Her unstinting commitment to the cause of NTF-Elcac will undoubtedly be very valuable to the Task Force, and we thank her for accepting the challenge," he said.

Año said Marcos directed the NTF-Elcac and local government units to continue working together to "seize the gains" in the regions and ensure that the task force carries this momentum toward a total victory over communist terrorism.

Recently, government forces apprehended in Malabon City Dindo Monsanto, a high-ranking commander of the NPA and member of the Central Committee of the CPP.

Monsanto was linked to the killing of football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin, Nolven, in Masbate nearly two years ago.

"We are on the cusp of victory, and we give credit to those who came before us for making this possible. To them, all of us in this strong alliance will forever be grateful," Año said.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/05/12/news/national/elcac-to-wipe-out-npa-within-the-year/1890953