NTF-ELCAC – A guide on how to not end local Communist armed Conflicts

April 22, 1951, Yultong, now present-day Yeoncheon South Korea. 900 Filipino soldiers hold on to their defense as the Chinese Communists charged at them. The battle was intense, as the Chinese easily outnumbered the Filipino Soldiers. However, the Filipinos had something the Communists hadn’t – Strategy. With well-thought-out holding positions and well-placed counterattacks, the Filipinos succeeded not just in the battle but also in the Filipinos’ hearts. It was a battle showing the capabilities of Filipinos; it was a battle showing how bravely our men fought to restore Democracy and how strategic the mindset of our countrymen had to protect not only our nation but another nation invaded and in need of help. But now, it is all a shadow of its former self.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.” – Sun Tzu

Winning the Communist rebellion today is never easy. But if things are hard, you meet its expectations and put your utmost effort to end them. And so far, we have not seen it from this task force. Instead of strategy, they sought to destroy Freedom. Instead of honesty, they sought to undermine our rights.

Instead of serving the people, they sought to serve the president.

They pursued innocent activists using the Anti-Terror Law, refused to get evidences and warrants before arresting individuals, ignored human rights when they brutally murdered nine activists in Southern Tagalog – refusing to give evidence that they indeed fought back. And now, they even continued to red-tag Community Pantries from around the Philippines. The latter was just helping our fellow Filipinos get through this incident.

These irresponsible acts of violence are a slap to the face of the past Communist fighters who fought for Freedom, Justice, and Democracy. The ones who fought for a free Philippines, the ones who, despite being outnumbered, volunteered to keep Communism away from the Philippines. Yet this task force opposes all the tenets that our past forces have followed. And this doesn’t just disrespect them but worsens the problem of Communism within our country.

For each red-tag, the NPA uses this as a tool to further strengthen their propaganda, for each human rights violation, the NPA further solidifies its narrative that we live in a Fascist state, for each activist killed according to reports and their ability to form compelling stories, it radicalizes another person to be recruited according to their need.

This is the problem that the NTF-ELCAC ignores. The outdated 80’s style of purging is no match to how our enemy has adapted to growing and radicalizing people through propaganda. In their ideology, each time the country is oppressed, more people will be willing to join the rebellion. If the NTF – ELCAC wants to win this fight, they must work between the boundaries of the law. When conducting arrests, they need to have body cameras, have valid evidence before going after an individual, have strict measures and punishments for police officers when breaking protocols, and stop the baseless propaganda and red-tagging. This will develop trust among not just our activists, but it will further strengthen the citizen’s perception of the police to be servants of the people. This may be a huge step, but we must end this broken system if we want to end Communism.

It is high time for not just the NTF-ELCAC, but for the police to reform. We know that the enemy uses oppression for their advantage, and it is time to change it. Activists are essential as they see the faults and cracks of our country that loyalists are blinded by. We critique the disadvantages that each policy has. And these things further improves each move by the government to avoid more mistakes in the future. Instead of Authoritarianism, the task force should stand for Democracy, instead of fear, they must rule through justice. Instead of using a hammer to bash our activists and using a sickle to slit the throats of our citizens, we must use a torch to shed the light of Freedom. Only that will our fallen brothers of 1951 be

respected for their sacrifices of keeping Communism at bay, for upholding our country’s title of being the last bastions of Democracy, and to ensure that we, as Filipinos, respect one another, that we may disagree with some of our citizen’s views, but we will defend to the death their right to speak it.