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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Makabayan bloc welcomes Khan's call to abolish NTF-ELCAC

Makabayan bloc welcomes Khan's call to abolish NTF-ELCAC

Published Feb 2, 2024 07:57 am

At A Glance

  • Members of the Makabayan bloc gave two thumbs up on Friday, Feb. 2 to the recommendation of United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to abolish the country's National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Makabayan - Irene Khan.jpg

United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan (third from left) with past and present Makabayan bloc lawmakers (Facebook)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the Makabayan bloc gave two thumbs up on Friday, Feb. 2 to the recommendation of United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to abolish the country’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Wini-welcome namin ang recommendation na i-abolish ang [NTF-ELCAC] dahil matagal na itong panawagan ng mga kababaihan maging ng iba pang sektor ng lipunan,” Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said in a virtual press briefing.

(We welcome the recommendation to abolish [NTF-ELCAC] because it has long been a call of women and other sectors of society.)

“Ginagamit ito para mas lalong apihin, mas lalong lumabag sa mga basic human rights ng ating mga mamamayan,” she added.

(It is being used to further oppress, further violate the basic human rights of our citizens.)

Established under Executive Order (EO) No. 70 during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the NTF-ELCAC was organized to “end all armed threats” in the country to attain “inclusive and sustainable peace”. 

NTF-ELCAC quickly came under scrutiny from human rights organizations after several reports of red-tagging, which is the act of labeling dissident groups or individuals as communist fronts or even terrorists. 

“Mula simula, walang nagawa ang notorious task force kundi na ituring ang mga kritikal at aktibong mga kabataan at maging daluyan ng korapsyon ng mga heneral,” noted Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel. 

(From the beginning, the notorious task force has done nothing but treat critical and active youths and become a channel for the corruption of generals.)

For her part, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said she hopes that the Marcos administration will listen to Khan’s recommendation.

“Basically pagre-revoke na ito sa EO No. 70 ni former President Duterte, sana makinig si President Marcos dito na talagang buwagin na ang NTF-ELCAC,” stressed Castro.

The three lawmakers forming the opposition group Makabayan met with Khan on Thursday. They submitted reports regarding supposed state-backed violence and attacks on freedom of opinion and expression. 

“Sinusuportahan natin ang sinasabi ni UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan dahil sa kaniyang pagkausap, sa lahat ng mga nakausap niya dito sa Pilipinas, lumalabas na ito talaga ang main issues na nakita niya at narinig niya,” Brosas said.

(We support what UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan is saying, because with her conversations with all the people she talked to here in the Philippines, it turns out that these are really the main issues she saw and heard.)

Prior to Khan’s suggestion of abolishing the NTF-ELCAC, another UN special rapporteur called to disband it last November 2023. 

Related Tags

NTF ELCAC Irene Khan UN Special Rapporteur makabayan bloc
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