Government's goal is to reduce insurgency to an 'irrelevant number' – Año

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 31) — The National Security Adviser on Thursday said they see the end of local armed communist conflict during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., adding the goal is to reduce insurgency to an "irrelevant number."

What we can see in the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., finally matutuldukan na, matatapos natin yung local armed communist conflict and from there, puro developments ang ating itataguyod at isisiguro natin yung delivery of services," NSA Eduardo Año said at a briefing.

[Translation: What we can see in the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is, finally, we can put an end to local armed communist conflict and from there, we will focus on development and ensure the delivery of services.]

"We may not be able to attain the zero insurgent, but we will reduce to an irrelevant number that will not already cause concern for peace and order," he added. "They will be isolated and just become bandits."

In line with this goal, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., executive director of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said 11 government agencies were added to the task force's executive committee:

- Department of Information and Communications Technology

- Department of Labor and Employment

- Department of Transportation

- Department of Tourism

- Department of Energy

- Department of Trade and Industry

- Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development

- Department of Foreign Affairs

- Department of Energy and Natural Resources

- Department of Health

- Department of Migrant Workers

Also included is a representative from the religious sector, specifically the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.

Torres added they are also looking for a representative from the private business sector to join the committee.

Año said the addition of these agencies would help in the delivery of services and improved programs especially in areas that have been declared cleared by the Philippine National Police.

"Pag nawala na ang mga armed group diyan, gusto natin tuluy-tuloy because we want to spur national development in those areas and provide livelihood programs to the citizens of these barangays who have been neglected for many, many years," he said.

[Translation: When these armed groups are gone, we want that to continue because we want to spur national development in those areas and provide livelihood programs to the citizens of these barangays who have been neglected for many, many years.]