There has been a huge shake up this week as Vice President Sara Duterte, who also serves as the Secretary of Education, was appointed co-Vice Chairman of the NTF-ELCAC.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/869643/vp-duterte-designated-co-vice-chair-of-ntf-elcac/story/ |
Vice President Sara Duterte has been named the co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), according to NTF-ELCAC Vice Chairperson and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Wednesday.
“The NTF-ELCAC Execom has approved the designation of Vice President Sara Duterte as co-vice chairperson of the Task Force. Her unstinting commitment in the cause of NTF-ELCAC will undoubtedly be very valuable to the Task Force and we thank her for accepting the challenge,” Año said in a press conference.
As a task force under the Office of the President, the NTF-ELCAC is chaired by the Chief Executive.
Asked if Duterte's new position will strengthen the monitoring of alleged recruitment activities in schools—the Vice President is also Education Secretary—Año replied, “With the effort now of the DepEd Secretary, in fact we have seen that the schools used by the other side have been closed.”
He said that Duterte is “well-experienced” as a former local executive.
(Our vice president is very well-experienced, being the former mayor of Davao City, from which she can use her experiences to share, including the best practices that can be used by the various agencies involved in NTF-ELCAC.)
(With her as the co-vice chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, she will be a great help to supervise not only the 12 clusters but also the designated cabinet officers to supervise regional peace and development and peace development in the different regions.)
Año's claim that as DepEd Secretary Sara shut down schools used by the CPP is patently false. That happened during her tenure as Mayor of Davao and the shut down was initiated by the IP's and not Sara.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/01/ips-not-vp-sara-shut-down-tribal-schools-in-davao-tied-to-communists-ex-npa-leader/ |
The Indigenous Peoples (IP) themselves decided to put an end to tribal schools linked to communist rebels, not former Mayor now Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, a former New People’s Army (NPA) leader said Monday, August 1.
Arian Jane Ramos, former secretary of Guerrilla Front 55 of the New People's Army (NPA) based in Southern Mindanao, said this following brickbats hurled at the Vice President by certain quarters believed to be allied with communist rebels.
In particular, Ramos, known as “Ka Marikit” when she was with the NPA, was reacting to allegations that the closure of the Salugpongan schools in Davao and the rest of the region was the handiwork of Duterte.
“The IPs became decisive for the Salugpongan closure and other 'Lumad' schools because they knew the real goal of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA,” Ramos said.
She said the Salugpongan tribal schools were “supposed to shape the future of the children and the development of the tribe, ‘but they turned out the other way.’”
In October 2019, the Department of Education in Region 11 (DepEd-11) ordered the closure of the controversial Salugpungan Ta'Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLCI), the school system that managed the Salugpongan schools, for lack of permits and alleged links with the NPA.
Jenelieto Atillo, DepEd-11 spokesperson, made it clear that the decision did not rest solely on STTICLCI's alleged links with the NPA but also based on the findings that showed various regulatory violations, deficiencies, and compliance issues on the part of the school management.
Arian Jane Ramos is a former NPA that even the NTF-ELCAC touts as an authority on what is happening within the CPP-NPA. Here statement ought not to be dismissed. That means Sara's appointment to the as co-Vice Chair of the NTF-ELCAC is shrouded in lies.
As DepEd Secretary of course Duterte thinks education is key to ending the insurgency.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/05/11/2265561/sara-duterte-confirms-new-ntf-elcac-post-says-education-needed-fight-deception |
Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrently education chief, confirmed her new post at the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, saying in a message that education is “one of the greatest weapons” in the government’s fight against insurgency.
“They have infiltrated our institutions and sectors and remained a serious threat to the well-being of the Filipino People, particularly our youth. Education, therefore, is one of the greatest weapons we can use in suppressing the lies and deceptions of these terrorists and their allied organizations,” Duterte said.
Nearly a year into her term as Department of Education secretary—a role that entails studying all aspects of the learning crisis during a “critical” recovery phase for millions of students—Duterte said the role has made her realize “how deeply ingrained the problem of insurgency in our country is.”
“(The) enemies are also using education as a machine to propagate their violent ideology and systematically recruit Filipino students. We cannot let them continue preying on the innocence and idealistic nature of the Filipino youth,” Duterte added.
Taking her words at face value it would seem that the end of the insurgency is nowhere near in sight. Duterte is saying that the insurgency is deeply ingrained in the country through educational institutions. In particular she is referring to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) which has been tagged as a communist front. And don't forget the NICA says they know the names of all 300,000 to 400,000 communists who have infiltrated the government. Clearly the insurgency is not relegated to just the NPA.
Nevertheless Sara Duterte believes the insurgency will end by the time Marcos leaves office.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1768399/sara-duterte-wants-end-to-communist-insurgency-during-marcos-admin-exec |
Vice President Sara Duterte, who is recently appointed as co-vice chair to the government’s anti-insurgency body, is intending to put an end to the decades-long rebellion of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
This was revealed Friday by National Security Council (NSC) deputy director general Jonathan Malaya, saying it was declared by Duterte during a meeting of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-Elcac) executive committee on May 10. Malaya attended the meeting.
(We think that VP Sara Duterte will be one of the best symbols of our call for peace in our country, so that, as she said, this protracted people’s war must already end during the Marcos administration.)
According to the NSC official, 75 percent of all NPA guerrilla fronts have been dismantled and that only 22 of the original 89 fronts remain.
Of the 22, he added, 20 are weakened while two NPA guerrilla fronts – both located in Samar – maintain a strong presence.
(Peace in the country is within our reach.)
How exactly is peace within reach when Sara admits that the insurgency is a deeply ingrained problem? This is double speak. What is the goal exactly? To defeat the NPA or to rid the Philippines of the Communist party entirely? Those goals are not the same and it is not illegal to be a communist. A recent executive order has recognized the right of association.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200938 |
The National Security Council (NSC) denied reports that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) will be dismantled.
NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, who is also the head of the agency's Strategic Communications Office, said there is no truth to rumors claiming that Executive Order (EO) 23 was issued to abolish or dismantle the anti-insurgency task force.
"Nowhere does it state in Executive Order No. 23 that the NTF ELCAC will be abolished or dismantled. The two Executive issuances relate to different topics. EO 23 relates to the protection of the freedom of association and the right to organize while EO 70, which created the NTF ELCAC, relates to the institutionalization of the whole of nation approach to attaining sustainable peace as well as the adoption of a national peace framework," he said in a statement released over the weekend.
Malaya said as NTF-ELCAC chair, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., is firmly committed to the whole-of-nation approach to finally ending communist terrorism in the country.
The NSC is the vice chair of the anti-communist insurgency body.
He also added that the Chief Executive has already directed the NTF-ELCAC to intensify its efforts now that the government has attained strategic victory over the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
"Seventy-five percent of all NPA guerrilla fronts have been dismantled. Only 22 out of the original 89 fronts are still existing. Of the 22 left, 20 are weakened and the remaining 2 are the subject of focused military operations and development efforts by NTF-ELCAC agencies," Malaya added.
The scuttlebutt over EO 23 in certain quarters witnesses to the truth that the NTF-ELCAC is indeed engaged in red tagging and calling out people, notably human rights workers, over their associations. It's such a contrast for Malaya to say the government has achieved a strategic victory over the CPP-NPA-NDF while Sara Duterte says the insurgency is deeply ingrained.
The NTF-ELCAC even admits they have been aggressive but are now switching to becoming "bringers of peace."
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1767664/under-marcos-administration-ntf-elcac-switches-from-aggressive-strategy-to-become-bringers-of-peace |
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) is shifting from its “aggressive” policy to become “bringers of peace,” officials of the anti-communist task force said on Wednesday.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said this was the orders relayed during the executive committee meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in Malacañang.
“What is most significant from today’s meeting is the fact that we are shifting from the old to the new NTF-Elcac with the primary role of us being ‘bringers of peace,’” Año said in a Palace briefing.
“This is what the President desires for our people,” he added.
Back in March, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to focus on external threats as he deems that the communist insurgency in the country is ending.
Ernesto Torres Jr. the NTF-Elcac’s executive director, said the task force is changing its strategy as the communist insurgency continues to weaken.
“In the past, if you might have observed, that we are really that aggressive in going after different threats of society particularly the CPP-NPA because we had 89 guerrilla fronts in start of 2019, so just imagine in just a little of four years, we are able to bring it down to 22,” Torres said.
Año has also noted that of the 22 guerrilla fronts left, 20 are weakened and the remaining two are the subject of focused military operations.
Were they not "bringers of peace" before? They are certainly bringers of cash as the NTF-ELCAC is essentially a bribery program to entice NPA fighters and supporters to surrender. Everyone gets cash, housing, job training, and many other amenities if they qualify.
The same rhetoric continues to swirl around the remnants of the insurgency. They are leaderless and are getting worn down says the AFP.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1201247 |
The few remaining members of the New People's Army (NPA) in the Visayas are now in disarray and getting tired of moving from one place to another as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) faces a leadership vacuum following the deaths of its founder Jose Maria Sison and key leaders.
“Due to the leadership vacuum that the CPP–NPA is suffering coupled with the active support of the community to the security efforts of the government forces, the few remaining members of the terrorist group remain in disarray and with no clear direction," Visayas Command chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo said in a statement Thursday.
He said that the communist terrorists "are tired due to constant movement having no safe place to hide."
Arevalo also lauded government troops for dealing with the CPP-NPA in Northern Samar, resulting in another huge blow in just a span of 10 days, making their morale "very low as attested by the former rebels who recently returned to the folds of the law.”
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