By By Raoul Manuel
Is it alright to sacrifice the lives of indigenous children in the name of counterinsurgency? Is it alright to let a student be killed by bombs for doing research outside the confines of formal schooling? Is it alright to detain a half-Filipino who immersed herself in lived social realities in the Philippines? Philippine state forces say yes. They’ve done such horrible acts in Mindoro, and they can do these again and again if they aren’t stopped.
In the remote barangays across the Philippines, undeclared martial law has become the new normal. This is the harrowing reality for communities subjected to the full implementation of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development (NAP-UPD), the latest counterinsurgency blueprint of the Marcos Jr. administration.
While the regime feigns compliance with international humanitarian law, the NAP-UPD openly violates the principle of distinction between civilians and armed combatants. State forces invoke the plan to impose food blockades, forced displacements, and severe movement restrictions in rural areas. Even elected civilian officials have become human shields to defend “Retooled Community Support Programs” and other overkill military and police operations within communities.
The “whole-of-nation” approach to counterinsurgency has made illegal acts legal by turning the legal system into a factory of fabricated cases and arrests. On top of the often recycled accusation of possessing firearms and explosives, activists face ‘law-fare’ on the basis of the twin terror laws on anti-terrorism and anti-terror financing. This campaign is fueled by fictional narratives of fake or forced surrenderees, who are presented by military and co-opted barangay officials to meet quotas and get funding for corruption-riddled infrastructure and ayuda.
Behind the flowery language of the NAP-UPD lies its true purpose: the intensification of state terrorism and exploitation of the oppressed Filipino people. This framework ensures that the toxic NTF-ELCAC model permeates throughout the entire executive branch and every level of government—like a virus that has successfully controlled its host. Led by the Office of the President, local governments from provinces to barangays are mandated to activate Peace and Order Councils and organize local versions of the anti-democratic task force.
The “whole-of-nation” approach of the NAP-UPD is not a home-grown policy, but a concept pioneered by the United States to consolidate the capabilities of its military and puppet governments under the guise of “counter-terrorism.” NAP-UPD is anchored in the US National Defense Strategy and the Bilateral Defense Guidelines, prioritizing Washington’s imperialist interests over Filipino lives.
This subservience is reflected in the 2026 budget, where the Department of National Defense enjoys a 13% increase in its funding that’s shielded by negotiated contracts and minimal public scrutiny. Out of nearly ₱12 billion in confidential and intelligence funds for 2026, ₱2 billion goes to the DND, while a staggering ₱4.5 billion is lodged once again in the Office of the President to finance the operations of NTF-ELCAC.
No one else but Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is at the center of state terrorism that suppresses the people’s resistance against corruption and injustices in the country. As the chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, he is directly responsible for the widespread human rights violations tearing through the country. The repressive NAP-UPD must be junked, his NTF-ELCAC must be defunded and abolished immediately, and he and his vice president must not be allowed to stay longer in power.
We must also ensure that Rodrigo Duterte, the first chairperson of this task force, is held responsible for his long list of crimes against the people. Let us gain courage from the verdict of the International People’s Tribunal, which found the administrations of Marcos Jr. and Rodrigo Duterte—in complicity with the United States government—guilty of violating international humanitarian law. Let’s amplify our voices and persist in the struggle for accountability.
