Name: Alison A. Abantas
Score:
Year and Course: 1st year – BSMETE
Instructor: Sir Felix Responte
A peaceful nation is everyone's greatest dream; we've been praying and wishing it for
years, but have we taken steps to make it a reality? For the longest time, terrorism has made
every Filipino's life the worst it could be; thousands of innocent lives have been wasted; their
blood has been poured into the ground for nothing; parents have been absolutely devastated
seeing their children dumped in a secluded area, tortured and lifeless; their massive
propaganda has twisted the youth with lies, deceptions, and false advocacies. Thousands of
homes have been destroyed; they have threatened us with their deadly weapons, they
assassinate even those sinless people, making our country dangerous to live in. Terrorist
groups are one of the reasons why our country is still on the verge of poverty; they are the
ones who dragged us down and dug our grave of suffering and sorrowfulness; they are the
biggest problem in our country, dimming and darkening the bright light of peace; and they
are a huge impediment that prevents us from achieving the harmony that we have long
desired. It's an unfortunate fact that it took fifty-two years for us to wake up from our
deepest nightmare and realize that achieving peace is not just government's responsibility,
it’s our individual obligations as well.
Executive Order No. 70, signed on December 4, 2018 by our beloved President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, institutionalizes the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive
and sustainable peace, creates a national task force to end local communist armed conflict,
and directs the adoption of a national peace framework, is one of the Duterte
administration's greatest achievements and effective orders implemented of all time A
National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) was created to
synchronize the utilization of the government's instrumentalities of power with the
capabilities of private sector stakeholders to finally end the 50-year long deceit, lies and
atrocities committed by the communist terrorists against the people. This strategic approach
was prompted by the need to stop peace talks with communist guerillas, as peace talks
appear to be fruitless, and since the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTG) seem to dishonor
peace talks and participate in them insincerely.
After watching the informative clip, I've learned three significant points that have
raised my awareness of this serious national long-term issue. First and foremost, everyone's
participation and contribution are required to address this ongoing national crisis. For a long
period of time, the government believed that the only solution to eliminate the communist
insurgency was to use military force; however, the current administration realizes that it
takes more than military power to put an end to this insurgency; everyone must contribute
and do their part. The whole-nation-approach is not just about the government or the
president; it is also about us, the Filipino citizens, who must invest effort, time, and action
because this is a constantly evolving problem that has a massive effect on our country's
holistic well-being. When dealing with such a critical issue involving our country's security
and safety, the government requires our full and complete cooperation. They need us, and
they need even basic acts like sharing awareness through our personal social media
accounts, liking their educational videos, and commenting on our views regarding on the
topic. Every one of us has the power to participate, to help even in small ways, because our
small efforts have a big impact on resolving our national catastrophe, and it is our shared
responsibility as ordinary people who want to live in peace and harmony.
Second, the chief factor why this communist group has survived for more than 50
years and continues to destroy the lives of our children has to do with their unchallenged
massive propaganda that has blinded the youth and certain individuals, particularly those
who belong to indigenous groups, those who live in mountainous regions, and those who
have been deprived of access to relevant information about the disastrous effects of
participating in such dangerous activity, rebellion. Our history has shown that their
enormous lies, false advocacies, and deceptions corrupt the naive mind and pure heart of our
loving Filipinos, making them strong and combative. They're trying to instill feelings of rage,
hatred, and abomination against the government in everyone's head and heart. They will
work tirelessly to gain our trust, honesty, and inclusion, once they have it, they will own,
control, and manipulate us, using disinformation, fabrication, and inventing untruths about
the government to change our principles and persuade us to fight for what we thought was
right but was actually a lie. That's why, government communication, public awareness, and
community involvement are critical in combating this alarming occurrence. The state needs
us to be armed with accurate and reliable information, which is why the NTF-ELCAC is here
for all of us, ready to provide us the truth we've been seeking so that we may remain vigilant
and protected from these dangerous groups. They are the ones who will support us on this
trip and be our shoulder to depend on when we face difficulties. The NTF-ELCAC
understands that this will be a difficult battle, but they have something the Communist Party
of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) does not:
the truth, and it is time to uncover them, speak the truth, and propagate it. Spread the word
to our countrymen that the government cares about us, wants to help us, and has put in place
good programs to improve our standard of living. Our president believes that one of the most
significant things in ending this is good administration, as one of the main reasons for the
emergence of this communist group is the lack of good governance.
Lastly, surrendering does not mean the end of the path; it means a second chance to
rebegin their lives, rebuild their families, and reclaim the joyful living that this senseless
rebellion has taken away from those former guerillas. Instead of punishing and chastising
the surrenderers, the president and this government want to help them by providing
financial aid of up to 65,000 pesos depending on the arms and weapons they've surrendered,
housing assistance, and even assisting them in starting their new lives far from the miserable
place they've endured. There is a convergence of government alliances willing to give former
rebels a second chance to live peacefully again by providing jobs and educating them how to
restore their lives and learn and earn from their new sustainable livelihoods. The
surrenderers are receiving unprecedented quantities of land ownerships with water
irrigation from the Duterte administration. Since the primary thing that this rebellion
destroys is our family, 18,000 rebels laid down their weapons for the sake of their families,
and this government is there for those who voluntarily submitted themselves to the arms of
the NTF-ELCAC, and will assist them in reestablishing their broken households. This
government is one-of-a-kind, relatable, and encouraging; they inspire every member of the
Communist Terrorist Groups to return to their arms and seek reconciliation. Localized peace
discussion and educating local communities is the existing successful formula in achieving
harmony and this is now true face of truthful peace. The hope and dream of sustainable peace
and progress.
Our future is in our hands, in this moment, and in our collective collaboration. Our
government will not be able to put an end to the insurgency of the Communist Terrorist
Group, but we can work together to do it. If not now, when will we take action, initiate
initiatives, and work with our government? When it's impossible to solve, when many people
have died, when assassination, bombing, and war are becoming more common and
destructive? We must not let worst adversity to force us to take initiative and action, we
should not wait until one of our family members dies or experiences the devastating
consequences of these illegal acts; we should not wait until it is too late to intervene. Now is
the time to stand up, face our fears, work together, and speak up for our safety and security.
The Philippines is one of the world's most beautiful and rich countries, and we do not
deserve the destruction brought on by these communist groups. We deserve the blessings of
our continued development efforts, and we deserve to live in a safer, more adaptable, and
disaster-resilient Philippines, without the CTG. Different administrations and strategic
approaches were attempted to remedy this devastating dilemma, but they all failed. This
whole-nation-approach is our best hope for a truly inclusive and long-lasting peace. We must
support the NTF-ELCAC's mission to rid the country of this threat. Each of us has the
opportunity to make a difference, and even a tiny contribution can help put an end to this.
Let us work together for as long as we have each other, we can achieve all of our goals and
nothing can hold us back.