The Youth for Peace and Development Movement Philippines respectfully appeals to the members of Senate of the Philippines to discontinue their plan to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
We believe that the best key to solve a multi-faceted problem like the Communist armed conflict, that is rooted on the various societal issues on the ground, is only through convergence which the said task force upholds. Its essence is spoken by the name itself.
Those who understand the gravity of CPP-NPA-NDF's negative effect, especially to the younger generation and the peace situation of our country, also understands the need to continually fuel a task force that aims to directly erradicate the said threat.
Defunding the NTF-ELCAC will not only be the loss of one agency but the loss of the whole government in its long fight against Communist insurgency. It will create a domino effect as the Communists may use it as a propaganda to discredit the government, from the local to the national level, as it cannot maintain its promise.
Without the NTF-ELCAC's community development thrusts, it may allow the NPA to bring back its foot hold on the communities and its youth recruitment activities, especially those in remote and IP areas. We fear that this will eventually lead again to loss of another life as the fight against insurgency will go back to the militaristic way.
As part of the NTF-ELCAC's partner in the local areas, we have learned that the way to trully dissolve the Communist insurgecy, as manifested by the result of the task force's efforts, must not only be through winning the battles but also through winning the trust and confidence of whole community affected by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
This can be achieved by continually providing the needs of the communities, ushered by the NTF-ELCAC, to gain their trust and support and withdraw their alliance to the Communist terrorists.
Photo by: DSWD Region X
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