National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokesperson Loraine Badoy (File photo)
MANILA – Localized peace talks are much more effective in persuading the recruits of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to return to the fold of the law, a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) official said.
“Ang localized peace talks, doon tayo kasi ang kinakausap natin dito ay ang ating mga kababayan na naloko ng CPP-NPA-NDF – ito iyong mga farmers, mga Indigenous Peoples (Through localized peace talks, we were able to talk to our countrymen – these are farmers, Indigenous Peoples who were duped by the CPP-NPA-NDF,)” NTF ELCAC spokesperson, Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, said in a regular press conference on Monday.
She said through the localized peace talks, the government can directly talk to the people deceived by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
“So as a result of those localized peace talks na napaka-successful – 25,200 na ng ating mga kapatid ang nag-surrender. Ano ang ibig sabihin noon? 25,200 ang hindi na pumapatay ng kapwa Pilipino at iyong kapayapaan na noon ay parang panaginip lang, ay ngayon nandito na (that is very successful – 25,200 of our countrymen surrendered. What does it mean? 25,200 no longer kill fellow Filipinos and the peace that we want to achieve is no longer a dream),” she said.
Badoy said the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) continue to sow confusion, and the job of the NTF-ELCAC is to tell the truth to the people.
“Kung kaya’t kami sa Task Force, ang responsibilidad namin ay tanggalin iyong kalituhan na iyan at ilinaw namin sa inyo. Mahalagang-mahalaga ang peace talks pero ang localized peace talks lang, doon lang tayo. Iyong peace talks na kasama ang CPP sinarado na ng ating Pangulo through an executive order. Hindi na tayo mag-uusap, tapos na ang usapan natin. Kasi, bakit? Kasi mapaglinlang sila, walang sinseridad (That is why we at the task force, our responsibility is to remove that confusion from you. Peace talks are very important, but we go with the localized peace talks. The president has already ended peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF through an executive order. We will no longer do that. Why? Because they are not sincere),” she said.
Badoy said the government should not negotiate with CTGs because while peace talks are ongoing and the ceasefire is in effect, more people are getting recruited, and more soldiers and police officers got killed by the NPA.
She said the localized peace talks initiated by the NTF ELCAC had reduced the guerilla fronts from 68 to just 17 under the Duterte administration.
Badoy said she is confident that the remaining 17 guerilla fronts will be dismantled by the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The Anti-Terrorism Council also identified the NDF as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973. (PNA)
