THE National Security Council (NSC) yesterday rejected calls of some militant lawmakers for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) following the Supreme Court’s ruling that red-tagging threatens the right to life, liberty and security of the person being accused.
During the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” public briefing, NSC assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said the call of the Makabayan bloc to dissolve the NTF-ELCAC is “unfounded and uncalled for.”
“The intention of those who want the NTF-ELCAC abolished is very obvious – they want the government to fail. They want the NPA existence to continue. They want conflict to continue in the barangays. Why is that so, why are they anti-peace, why are they anti-development? Let’s ask them why they want the NPA existence to continue in our country,” said Malaya.
In a statement, Malaya reiterated that the lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc have been pressing for the dissolution of the NTF-ELCAC because they don’t want the government to win its campaign to neutralize the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
“The leftist groups clearly don’t want us to win against the CPP-NPA-NDF. They are anti-peace and anti-development. They clearly don’t want to see the end of the communist insurgency in our country. Why? We should ask them,” said Malaya.
He stressed that the NTF-ELCAC, which is chaired by President Marcos Jr, has been the “game changer” in the campaign against the NPA and its allied and front organizations.
“Because of the NTF ELCAC, the NPA has been strategically defeated with its last remaining nine weakened guerrilla fronts with around 1,000 remaining armed members scattered in remote areas. Peace is finally within our reach,” he said.
The SC position on red-tagging was contained in its decision that granted the plea for a writ of amparo of red-tagged former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Siegfred Deduro, whom the military has accused of being a member of the CPP-NPA.
The High Court found prima facie evidence to grant Deduro’s plea, saying that red-tagging, vilification, labeling, and guilt by association threatened the activists’ and all red-tagged individual’s right to life, liberty, or security.
Malaya said the SC decision did not state in its decision that the NTF-ELCAC was responsible for the supposed red-tagging of Deduro.
“The Supreme Court never said that the NTF-ELCAC is a notorious red-tagger. In fact, the NTF-ELCAC is not a party to the case nor was it impleaded (to the case). So, why it is now being linked to this decision boggles the mind. It’s non sequitur,” he also said.
Malaya said the militant lawmakers are “imagining things” if they think the President will abolish the NTF-ELCAC, which was established during the previous Duterte administration to end the decades-old insurgency problem.
“In the last NTF-ELCAC meeting in Malacañang, the President, as task force chairperson was very happy with the achievements of the NTF ELCAC. In fact, he directed the task force to immediately implement the Amnesty Program, increase financial support to the 846 barangays under the NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Program, and directed the Cabinet to study the task force’s 2024-2028 Roadmap,” he said, adding: “Does that sound like the NTF ELCAC will be abolished? I don’t think so.”
