The Duterte government’s so-called war against communism, spearheaded by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is riddled with corruption, a regional spokesperson of the New People’s Army recently revealed.

Ka Gabrielle, Information Officer of the NPA North Mindanao Regional Operational Command, revealed on 25 November that the proposed PhP28 billion budget for the NTF-ELCAC will end up in the pockets of top military officials and local politicians.

“Military and politicians push for the allocation of PhP20 million for each village through the Barangay Development Program of the NTF-ELCAC,” Ka Gabrielle said. “Village officials are forcing villagers to attend meetings. Residents are lined up and declared as ‘hundreds of NPA surrenderees’.” The officials then declare the villages ‘cleared’, so that they can claim their share of the millions of pesos from the budget.

Consequently, the demand for cutting or totally cancelling the PhP28billion budget of the NF-ELCAC is gaining ground. Public clamor for the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC is also becoming stronger. Critics of the NTF-ELCAC and the Duterte regime declare that public funds for the military are wasted on the harassment and red-tagging of legitimate protests and the peddling of fake news.

Government spending on military and intelligence operations do not undergo auditing from the Commission on Audit.

Ka Gabrielle explains that, in stark contrast to the Duterte government’s violent and corruption-riddled programs, the revolutionary movement has effectively served the people through genuine land reform, raising wages and raising the farm gate prices of the peasantry’s produce. Also on health issues, the NPA has done very much to help the masses. Furthermore, in the guerrilla zones of the NPA, the peace and order situation is stable and the drug problem is resolved.

Ka Gabrielle concludes that the Duterte government “concentrating its strength to desperately defeat the revolutionary movement will only pave the way for the people's resistance to grow stronger.”