Article by:
Lade Jean Kabagani
MANILA – Presidential aspirant Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. said he will “definitely” continue the anti-insurgency programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“How can you object the program that brings peace. Yung mga nagrerebelde ay natutulungan na ng gobyerno. Kaya nagrebelde yan kasi wala silang nararamdaman na tulong, na serbisyo galing sa gobyerno. Walang trabaho, walang future kumbaga (Those rebels are being helped by the government. The reason for their rebellion is because they didn't feel any help, services from the government. No job, no future like that),” Marcos said in an interview during the March 19 episode of “The Chatroom” aired in PTV-4 news channel.
The former senator highly regarded the NTF-ELCAC as an expanded civil-military action program—injected with a whole-of-nation approach—where all national government agencies are working together to develop and bring peace to rebel-infiltrated communities.
Through the anti-insurgency program of the NTF-ELCAC, Marcos said people in the far-flung areas were given hopes and opportunities such as the provision of decent housing units, livelihood programs, and investments to start fresh.
“Talagang andaming nagbalik-loob ng dahil dyan. Para sakin ‘pag kausap ko lalo na yung AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), mga pulis—effective talaga (There’s a lot of rebel returnees because of that. For me, when I talk to AFP, with policemen, it’s really effective),” Marcos said.
“I think it's definitely. That’s another program that we have to continue,” he added.
In his prerecorded Talk to the People aired Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed hope the NTF-ELCAC will get continuous support from the next administration saying the anti-insurgency initiatives contributed to the sustainable peace and order in the country.
“I hope the next administration will continue with this ELCAC,” Duterte said. (PNA)
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