October 1, 2025
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A top official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday reported a steady decline in the number of communist guerilla fronts in the country, highlighting the success of the efforts of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to dismantle the remaining guerrilla units in the country.
“Based on the parameters on the clearing, we have seen a steady decline in all the insurgency parameters,” AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jimmy Larida said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
Larida said in terms of manpower, in 2022 there were 2,008communist terrorist groups monitored. By the end of the first semester of 2025, the number of CTGs has gone down to 901.
“So halos less than half na lang ang natira. Malaki po ang role ng Armed Forces of the Philippines in contributing sa objectives ng NTF-ELCAC,” Larida said.
In terms of weapons at the rebels’ possession, the AFP official said that from 1,817 firearms in 2022, the number dropped to 731 by the end of first semester of 2025.
The AFP official joined the Executive Committee meeting of the NTF-ELCAC held in Malacañang on Wednesday.
Aside from conducting military operations, Larida said the military is also engaged in a charm campaign to persuade the rebels to return to the fold of the law.
The AFP is transitioning from internal defense towards external defense as previously mentioned by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“We’re shifting to territorial defense missions. We are winding up our internal security operations,” Larida said. | PND