No abolition, but 'transformation' is in task force timeline: NTF-ELCAC

MANILA — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) may reorganize when New People's Army guerrilla fronts are dismantled, its spokesperson said Saturday, referring to a government timeline on its anti-insurgency campaign.

Speaking on TeleRadyo Serbisyo, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Joel Egco also rejected the recommendation by UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to abolish the agency, acknowledging also that the task force was disappointed at it.

"Meron nang shift to a 'Task Force on Unity, Peace and Development', so mage-evolve talaga siya. Task force talaga ito. Once the mission gets accomplished, either tapos ka na or mag-transform ito another entity. 'Yun ang mga options na ipinaliwanag," he said.

(There is already a shift to a 'Task Force on Unity, Peace and Development', so that will really evolve. This is a task force. Once the mission gets accomplished, you either end it or transform it into another entity. Those were the options that were explained to her.)

While the task force is "disappointed" that Khan "focused on" its abolition, Egco said the task force respects her recommendations.

He said he hopes these will change with more engagements with government agencies. 

"Ang NTF-ELCAC ngayon sa present identity magtutuloy pa rin... And as I said mayroon tayong roadmap na until 2028 isusunod natin at kasama 'yan. Ang outright abolition, hindi tama but we respect her opinion and respect her observations." 

(We respect her opinion, and that's her mandate. You know that this is preliminary and the submission of the final report will still take time. Maybe a year.) 

In a dinner last January 31 with NTF-ELCAC officials, Khan pointed out the continuing "red-tagging," adding that the group's "usefulness is outdated." 

"They seem to believe that the problem is still there although their own statement shows that it has gone down tremendously, the whole threat of communism, insurgency has gone down tremendously, and they boast about this as their success," Khan said in a press conference on Friday.

"So, if you succeed in something, there comes a time when you shut down what you're doing, right? Because you have achieved your goals," Khan said.

Another UN expert recommends NTF-ELCAC abolition

"Marami pa pong gagawin talaga," Egco said. 

"Hindi pa tapos talaga ang laban so, while there are — alam mo, from 89 active down to a few na weakened — humina na ang NPA, may remnants yan na kailangang i-address."

(There is a lot more to do. Even if the NPA has weakened from 89 active fronts to just a few weakened ones, there are still remnants that have to be addressed.)

RED-TAGGING

Last year, UN Special Rapporteur Ian Fry also recommended disbanding NTF-ELCAC for alleged red-tagging activities against groups or individuals critical of the government, which the task force also decried. 

Egco said the government does not recognize red-tagging, claiming those who complain about the practice use it as a "defense mechanism."

Khan has urged the government to implement a policy against red-tagging, saying that "[i]n many cases, vilification has been followed by threats, unlawful surveillance, attacks or even unlawful killings."

She added that the practice she "intimidates and chills freedom of expression and suppresses legitimate activism, journalism or criticism."

Khan said much needs to be done to improve the state of freedom of expression in the Philippines, despite improvement under the Marcos administration. 

NTF-ELCAC reiterated the possibility of abolishing the task force when the "mission is over."

Egco stressed that the government adheres to the UN Declaration of Human Rights and stays committed to press freedom.