National Security Adviser (NSA)-designate and retired University of the Philippines (UP) Professor Clarita Carlos favors the continuation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) under the incoming Marcos administration.
Carlos had this to say Thursday, June 9, during an interview over Radyo Pilipinas.
The scholar was specifically asked whether or not she would support the continuation of the NTF-ELCAC, which had been organized under the outgoing Duterte administration to respond and raise awareness about the ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines.
"Ay (Oh) yes! . Kasi (Because) those are the ones that work e. Hindi ba kadugtong yan ng local peace council (Isn't that part of the local peace council)," Carlos said.
According to her, what the NTF-ELCAC does is uproot the cause of insurgency. "Kung saan siya nanggagaling yun ang ugatin mo (The source is where you should uproot it)."
"Ang tao hindi makapag-aral, tapos wala siyang pangkabuhayan, tapos wala siyang oportunidad na talagang mag-dream, yun talaga ang tututukan mo (The people who didn't get proper education, livelihood, and the opportunity to dream, they're the ones that you must focus on)," she said.
Carlos also hinted at a desire to "finish negotiations" with personalities abroad in connection with the insurgency. "Alam mo na yun kung sino (You know who they are)," she said.
"At dito natin tutukan talaga kung at talagang alamin ano ba talaga ang nasa damdamin nitong mga tao na to na lumalaban sa gobyerno dahil sa itong pagkukulang nila sa mga ganitong mga bagay (Here at home, let us really focus on what are the true feelings of those fighting the government because of their deprivation from those things). So talagang kailangan i-continue yan (So let’s really continue ) because they work, no," she further said.
The NTF-ELCAC became controversial in the past for alleged "red-tagging" of perceived enemies of the Duterte administration.