“Baseless generalization and misconception.”
This is how a regional unit of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) viewed the recent pronouncement of Vice President Leni Robredo when she announced that she will abolish the group created by President Rodrigo Duterte if ever she is elected President.
“There is really a duplication of many efforts — the duplication of the mandate – and it has to be abolished,” Robredo explained during a forum organized by the Rotary Club of Makati.
“I fear that this will become Tokhang Version 2 in the sense that the mandate given to the body will be abused, will be used to harass people,” the presidential aspirant added.
On Tuesday, the Senate also decreased NTF-ELCAC’s proposed 2022 budget by P24 billion in favor of funding health programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Regional Task Force of the Western Visayas Region (RTF6-ELCAC) told Robredo in their statement released Wednesday: “We are aghast by your pronouncement that you intend to abolish NTF-ELCAC (once you become president). You said the Task Force might be used to harass the people ala Tokhang Version 2. Allow us to correct your misconceptions about the mandate of the NTF-ELCAC.”
The group said President Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 that created the NTF-ELCAC is “grounded on a Whole-of-Nation Approach”, aimed at putting an end, once and for all, to the local communist armed conflict that has cost the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos over the course of more than five decades.
Floserim Chris Gonzales, spokesperson of RTF6-ELCAC, explained that the ‘key term’ in EO 70 is the “whole-of-nation approach.”
“Otherwise stated, sa wikang Filipino, para lubos po niyong maunawaan, ang buong pwersa ng lahat ng ahensiya ng pamahalaan ay kasapi, kabahagi, kasama sa iisang layunin na bigyang solusyon ang sanhi ng limamput tatlong (53) taon nang pakikipaglaban ng komunistang teroristang grupo na CPP-NPA-NDF sa pamahalaan,” Gonzales explained.
He added that there are 12 Clusters under the NTF-ELCAC that have specific mandates. Since 2018, when the task force was created, basic services and infrastructure projects have reached thousands of barangays and Indigenous People’s (IPs) communities that have been cleared of communist infestation by government forces.
“Kayo (Robredo) lang yata ang hindi nakakaalam nito. Sana nakisali rin kayo sa mga Serbisyo Caravan na itinaguyod ng NTF-ELCAC. Para sa inyong kaalaman, may Barangay Development Program din ang NTF-ELCAC. Under this initiative, CTG (Communist Terrorist Group) cleared barangays are provided 20 million pesos for projects that the people in barangay deem necessary to improve their quality of life,” Gonzales further explained.
He said the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC will only benefit the CTGs and will deprive thousands of CTG-cleared barangays of the much needed P20 million budget for their development.
“Yung sinasabi niyo na holistic approach, nangyari na po. In fact, it is being done by the government. Nahuli na po kayo sa balita. Yung pinagpipilitan niyo na to address the root cause of insurgency, na address na po. Huling huli na kayo sa balita Mam,” Gonzales told Robredo.
The group also invited the second highest official of the country for a dialogue, as they are so willing to present their accomplishment to her. “Masakit lang po sa amin na pakinggan na pinalalabas niyo na walang naidulot na kabutihan ang NTF-ELCAC. Unfair po. Napaka-unfair ng pronouncement niyo,” Gonzales said.
He pointed out that “Kakampi nyo ho ang NTF-ELCAC sa paglilingkod sa bayan lalo na yung mga nasa laylayan ng socioeconomic strata ng bansa natin.”
“Yung common enemy po natin ay yung mga teroristang komunistang CPP-NPA-NDF/NDFP na simula’t sapul ay walang magawa kundi ang mangikil, pumatay, mang rekrut ng mga kabataan, mang gulo at mang linlang ng mga politiko para isulong ang kanilang mga agenda.”
“Anytime po madame presidential candidate, mag-dialogue po tayo anywhere dito sa Region 6,” Gonzales ended.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson for sectoral concerns Lorraine Marie Badoy also lashed out against Robredo for not educating herself about EO 70 that created the NTF-ELCAC.
Badoy reiterated that the vice president’s stand against NTF-ELCAC only showed how ignorant she is about the mission and vision of government in ending the local communist armed conflict through the whole-of-nation approach.
She also said that Robredo have insulted a lot of government workers in her unfounded claims against the NTF-ELCAC.
“You insulted quite a lot of public servants who are doing hard work, who are really putting real manhours and are making a big difference for our people,” she said, adding that the vice president is not a true opposition but an obstructionist to the welfare of many people.
Badoy also challenged the Vice President to visit the barangays being assisted by the BDP, who for the first time are being given access to water, farm to market roads, schools, and housing projects.
Robredo, a presidential aspirant in the 2022 elections, said the Duterte administration’s approach against insurgency is purely militaristic instead of targeting and increasing resources for basic services and communities with special focus on conflict-affected areas.
“When we talk of services, that is education, health, social protection, basic infrastructure for livelihood, communication and connectivity, microfinance, strengthening the government reintegration programs for former rebels, families and communities, to allow them to lead peaceful and productive civilian lives,” Robredo said.
“This cannot be solved by using a purely militaristic approach. We have to go to the root of the problem of insurgency to be able to give a more long-term solution to the same,” she added.
Robredo then maintained that peace talks with communist groups should resume for the government policy to be more inclusive.
“I have always been very clear on my position on the issues on peace talks, the issues of NDF-NPA (National Democratic Front-New People’s Army), issues on how to combat insurgency, and I have always been very vocal about my push to reengage, again, communities and civil society organizations in demanding not just from these groups but also from the government to create a more conducive and enabling environment for peace negotiations to resume,” Robredo said.
“There must be a call for a complete cessation of hostilities and violence and to spare communities in conflict-affected areas. There must be a rejection of the militarist approaches to ending internal armed conflict, and instead, encourage strong participation of CSOs, the private sector, the church in the peace process.”