Baguio City – The Cordillera Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in a meeting held last December 11 manifested their support to Local peace talks in the region despite the pronouncement of the national government to halt peace talks with the CPP-NDF.
The AFP and PNP reported that through their strengthened operations, there was a shift from violent to non-violent activities of communist-terrorist group in the third quarter of this year. A decrease in manpower and firepower in 29 conflict-afflicted barangays in CAR was also in the report. Sustained efforts include the conduct of action-planning sessions with stakeholders in non-conflict or white areas.
Six additional barangays were included in the list of priority ELCAC barangays namely, Barangays Malaguyan and Upper Atok in Flora, Apayao; and Barangays Belwang, Bekigan, Sacasacan, and Saclit of Sadanga, Mt. Province. These bring the total to 72 Priority RTF-ELCAC barangays.
Moreover, NEDA-CAR Regional Director Milagros Rimando suggested that the task force exercise caution in using terms such as “tokhang” and “left-leaning” due to their negative connotation with intelligence reporting infiltration within government organizations.
NEDA is tri-secretariat with DA and DILG of the CAR RTF-ELCAC and a member of 4 out of 12 clusters namely: (1) Infrastructure, Resource Management and, Employment, (2) Basic Services, (3) Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment, (4) Localized Peace Engagement. (NEDA-CAR)