CARAGA Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) on Thursday approved the creation of a Special body to counter the Communist Terrorist Group’s resource generation during its council meeting yesterday (Sept. 30), a military report Thursday.

Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs chief Major Rodulfo Cordero said the proposal came from 4ID commander and the current Joint Task Force Diamond head Major General Andres C. Centino.

Cordero said, Maj. Gen Centino has the responsibility for Northern Mindanao and Caraga Region.

The function of the special task group (STG-CCRG) is to assist the RTF-ELCAC in the formulation of programs, projects, services, and activities geared to stop the NPA’s extortion activities.

Centino said that while the government’s counter-insurgency campaign is gaining a headway by having weakened the enemy’s capabilities through manpower and firearms reduction along with the resolution of the root causes of the insurgency, somehow the CPP-NPA’s resource generation activities has been overlooked.

“The CPP-NPA’s funds are primarily coming from its extortion activities targeting the mining industry, agri-businesses, construction firms, transport sector, and other business establishments among others,” said Centino.

Former rebels disclosed that the captured of the CPP-NPA finance officers and the documents recovered; through extortion, they have amassed more than 118 million pesos in 2019 alone, according to Centino.

Centino said despite the series of surrender and neutralization of CPP-NPA members, they remain resilient because of the extorted funds that have sustained their operations.

“We need to address the CPP-NPA extortion schemes if we want to end the insurgency problem in the region,” he said.

The Caraga RTF ELCAC Full Council Meeting was presided over by Cabinet secretary Karlo Norgales via video teleconference with the attendance of the members of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC).

Nograles is also the Cabinet Official for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for Caraga, tasked to integrate the peace, security, and development initiatives of the government. (Ben Balce)