MANILA — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict called on Filipinos to reject recruitment efforts by the New People’s Army (NPA) and to shun its continued acts of violence as the group marks its 57th founding anniversary.

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement that there is nothing worth celebrating in a movement built on decades of bloodshed.

“For 57 years, what has been offered is not liberation, but bloodshed — violence disguised as ideology and a struggle that has only deepened poverty and suffering,” he said.

The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was founded on March 29, 1969, by CPP founder Jose Maria Sison and former Hukbalahap members led by Bernabe Buscayno.

“There is nothing to celebrate in a movement that thrives on fear and exploits the very people it claims to serve,” Torres added. He said the insurgency’s legacy is written not in victories, but in lost lives, broken families, and communities held hostage by intimidation and false promises.

Torres highlighted ongoing progress against NPA remnants, citing former rebels laying down arms and reconnecting with their families.

“Across the country, from the farthest barangays to our urban centers, Filipinos are choosing peace — freely, consciously, and in growing numbers,” he said.

According to the National Amnesty Commission, 16,003 applications for amnesty have been filed, surpassing the initial projection of 10,000. Of these, 13,633 were actual combatants and supporters of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front. Applications were received before the March 13 deadline.

Torres described these developments as “clear, measurable signs” that the decades-long insurgency is nearing its end.

“This is no longer just a security campaign. This is a whole-of-nation movement anchored on truth, justice, and genuine opportunity,” he added.

However, he warned Filipinos not to be complacent, noting that recruitment tactics have shifted from the battlefield to more insidious methods targeting the youth.

“For decades, recruitment has not begun with armed struggle, but with manipulation — through misinformation, emotional coercion and the systematic erosion of critical thinking. These are the hallmarks of terrorist grooming,” Torres said.