At A Glance
- (PHOTO: KJ ROSALES/PPA POOL)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is now one of the private-sector representatives in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
This was announced by NTF-ELCAC executive director, Usec. Ernesto Torres Jr., during a Malacañang press briefing on Thursday, Aug. 31.
“The ExeCom (Executive Committee) agreed to have one from the religious sector and we have now the CBCP, represented by the Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, particularly by Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista and his alternate is Father Jerome Secillano who was physically present during the meeting,” he said.
According to Torres, two private representatives are allowed or authorized to be members of the NTF-ELCAC.
“So these positions were never filled since the establishment of NTF-ELCAC. So just like what I mentioned awhile ago, we need to review how we do things and we find it necessary that at this point in our campaign, it is necessary that we have two private representatives as member-agencies…”
He said that the CBCP “warmly” accepted the NTF-ELCAC after learning about the anti-insurgency program of the government.
“Well, we are really very glad that when we approached the CBCP leadership, we were accepted warmly. Hindi po tayo nagkaroon ng problema (We did not have any problem) with them. In fact, they readily accepted to cooperate with us because we were able to explain to them about the program of the government, and our role in harmonizing the different efforts of the government and the other partner-stakeholders in uplifting the condition of those living the conflict-inflicted and vulnerable areas,” he said.
Banking on the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in the country, Torres said the NTF-ELCAC can reach people in far-flung areas with the help of the CBCP.
“So what can they contribute? So, we are a very religious country, so if I am not mistaken, more than 80 percent of our population is Catholic or Christian so their organization can be felt down to the barangays and even sitios. So they are organized as such,” the NTF-ELCAC official said.
“So with them on our side, it would be a lot easier for us to disseminate, to cascade the information—the good news of the government—to those living in far-flung areas, and considering the trust, confidence, and respect that the general populace has for those in the religious sector, it would be readily accepted by them so the truth can be easily disseminated with the help from our partners from the CBCP,” he went on.
Torres said they are eyeing to add a business sector representative to their organization.
“Aside from CBCP membership, we are working on a business sector representative to fill the other slot for a private representative in the NTF organization,” he said.