If elected president, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will continue the current administration's program against local communists and support it even further by increasing its budget.
Marcos Jr.'s camp said Monday, Jan. 17, that the presidential aspirant already vowed his full support to the government's National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in its battle against insurgency as it has "excellent performance" despite budget cut by the Senate.
He also lauded the role of the agency in providing rebel returnees livelihood opportunities.
"Maganda, maganda ang NTF-ELCAC. Even if nabawasan ang kanilang budget, hindi nagbago. Nakakatulong talaga (NTF-ELCAC is good. Although their budget was cut, their efforts didn't change. They were really helpful) I think we should continue that. It is something that I see na may effect na medyo maganda at nabibigyan ng pagkakataon maghanap-buhay (that has a good effect and that gives opportunities to have a job) and to rejoin the society," Marcos Jr. said, adding a budget increase is important in a bid not to put to waste the current government's achievements.
Marcos also pledged to give more funds to the task force's Support to Barangay Development program, which aims to provide P20 million to communities recently freed by government forces from the clutches of communist groups.
"We have to invest in success. Kung successful 'yung programa eh dun tayo maglagay ng pondo. Ipagpatuloy natin 'yung kanilang ginagawa (If the program is successful, then we go for it. We should continue what it's doing)," he said.
The presidential aspirant also condemned the "obsolete ideology peddled by local terrorist groups to lure in naive and gullible followers," his camp said.
He added that the communist group's ideology has lost support and has become irrelevant.
"If they continue in their wish to overthrow the government by violent means, how can I be on their side? Besides, the ideology that they are espousing no longer has much support," Marcos said.