By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte has appointed retired colonel Allen Capuyan as executive director of the National Secretariat of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
The President signed Capuyan's appointment papers on Monday, March 25. He was Duterte's adviser for indigenous people's concerns. He was also an official of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
Retired colonel Allen Capuyan (SCREENSHOT / YOUTUBE / SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / MANILA BULLETIN)
Capuyan was accused of providing tariff codes that gave smugglers of the P6.4-billion shabu shipment in May 2017 access to the green lane or express lane which exempts shipments from X-ray inspection.
He was also allegedly the one behind the wiretapping scandal under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was said to have monitored those they believed to be part of the opposition.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict seeks to address causes of armed conflict at the local level by ensuring the provision of social services, employment opportunities, and improved quality of life in communities affected by armed communist conflict.
The task force, which was created in December 2018 and falls under the Office of the President, is chaired by President Duterte and vice-chaired by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.
The anti-insurgency task force is composed of various national government agencies and two private sector representatives.
Capuyan's appointment came days after the Chief Executive formally dissolved the government panel negotiating peace with the communists.
Malacañang earlier said that it would now focus on localized peace talks after the cancellation of the formal peace talks in The Netherlands.