NTF ELCAC STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE’S OATHTAKING

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict congratulates the Filipino people for having elected as Vice President a fierce defender of the oppressed, a true advocate and defender of our children and a faithful public servant- Vice President Sara Duterte. Someone, we are certain, who will not collude with terrorists and betray us FOR ANY REASON and who has, in fact, been in the forefront in this fight to end this 53 year scourge.

We are relieved that by June 30, two most powerful officials of the land are exceedingly clear about the terrorist CPP NPA NDF: that this is the enemy and that we must do all we can to finally destroy this terrorist organization that has brought so much grief and destruction to our people and to our country.

We are comforted that the new Vice President mentioned today in her inaugural speech the noxious practice of the recruitment of our children into terrorism as one of the challenges we face as a nation.

Because of this, so many of our children have turned their backs on their bright futures to be terrorists of the CPP NPA NDF and where our mountains have been transformed into graveyards that hold their remains in shallow, unmarked graves.

What, really, is the cost to us as nation of all those young lives lost- all those bright dreams never coming into fruition, their vast potential never being realized- not to mention the grief and suffering their tragic and untimely deaths have caused the families they left behind?