The government must not sit on its laurels and should continue with responsive actions to encourage communist insurgents to return to the fold of the law so that rural development could be sustained, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Thursday.
Speaking during the 2nd National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) EXECOM Meeting in Malacañang, President Marcos said that change will happen when people have jobs and livelihood,and this could be realized through the continuing agrarian reform program and other poverty alleviation efforts of the government.
“Nakalagay naman sa batas iyan, to specify priorities that will include those rebel returnees who have chosen to surrender and have decided to return to the fold of the law. These are all good efforts that we have to continue, (and) as I said, let us not sit on our laurels,” he told the meeting.
“Let us continue to come up with a responsive action so that although nagbago na ang ating trabaho nang kaunti, it changes from what it was before, we must continue to support the idea behind this na papabalikin nga natin ang mga nagrerebelde na bumalik sa lipunan.”
Prior to presiding the 2nd NTF-ELCAC EXECOM Meeting, Marcos led the swearing in rites for the Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) in Malacañan Palace’s Heroes’ Hall.
Established under Executive Order (EO) No. 70, s. 2018, the NTF-ELCAC operationalizes the whole-of-nation approach in defeating local communist terrorist group (CTG) and obtaining sustainable and inclusive peace throughout the Philippines.
At the local level, the RTF-ELCAC is a convergence of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOCs) co-chaired by the RDC and RPOC chairs, with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) acting jointly as its Secretariat.
The CORDS, on the other hand, were designated to lead the Joint RTFs and oversee peace and development efforts in every region of the country and also provide assistance in articulating the region’s concerns and perceptions to the rest of the Cabinet and other agencies.
In June 2023, the Executive Secretary, by authority of the President, approved the designation of the key members of the Cabinet as CORDS.
Among the attendees include Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Dir. Gen. Suharto Mangudadatu, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Dir. Gen. Ricardo de Leon, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., and Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. | PND
