REGIONAL Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Technical Working Group (RTF-ELCAC TWG) Northern Mindanao pushed late last week an intensified drive against the reported extortion activities made by the New People's Army rebels in the two regions in Mindanao.

"The meeting is to harmonize interventions in countering and ending NPA's resource generation to attain peace in northern Mindanao and the Caraga region," Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs chief Major Rodulfo Cordero said.

Cordero said, also discussed in the meeting were plans, projects, and services to be provided to the vulnerable sectors of society. 

He said the RTF-ELCAC is in line with President Duterte’s proclamation of Executive Order No. 70 on December 28, 2019, institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace.

"Creating a national task force to end local communist armed conflict is directing the adoption of a national peace framework providing an efficient mechanism as a government policy," Cordero said.

“One positive development we are undertaking here in the RTF-ELCAC is the effort of the regional task force to recommend for the creation of the 13th line of efforts (LOE) specifically for the resource generation of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG),” said Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy.

“This is very important because it will strengthen our capability for case build-up; it will help us in identifying the sources of funds,” she added.

Uy believed that the move is a huge step in effectively building cases against individuals, groups, businesses, corporations, and even local officials that provide material and resource support to the terrorists with the Anti-terror Act.

4ID commander Major General Andres C. Centino said that the importance of cutting off the resources of the terrorist group as an important factor in ending communist armed conflict.

“What is not given much focus is the extortion locally done by the CTG. For so long, we have already known that it is going on for a long time. That’s why insurgency continues despite our military efforts,” Centino said. Through the implementation of the anti-terror law and the strengthened, harmonized efforts of the different government agencies, the RTF-ELCAC moves closer in attaining peace in the region and end the scourge of the CTG. (Ben Balce & Recthie Tolinero/VPSB)