Manila, Dec. 31 -- The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday refuted claims made by the New People's Army (NPA) that it still enjoys support from communities.

In a statement, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said NPA rebels would not be hiding and extorting from civilian communities if they still enjoy genuine mass support.

Torres issued the statement in response to claims made by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) that communities "do not welcome NPA only because of military force."

According to Torres, such claim "ignores a simple reality that if the NPA still enjoyed genuine mass support, it would not need to hide, extort, or punish civilians to sur...