ILOILO City – The abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) will deprive barangays cleared of communist terrorist groups (CTGs) with development funds worth P20 million each.
This was stressed by the Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6-ELCAC) in a statement on Wednesday in reaction to the pronouncement of Vice President Leni Robredo that she would abolish the national taskforce if she becomes the next president.
“Para na rin sa inyong kaalaman, may Barangay Development Program din ang NTF-ELCAC. Under this initiative, CTG-cleared barangays are provided P20 million for projects that the people deem necessary to improve their quality of life,” said Assistant Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, spokesperson.
RTF6-ELCAC is inviting the vice president to a dialogue.
“Anytime po Madam presidential candidate, mag-dialogue po tayo anywhere sa Region 6. We will present to you the accomplishments of RTF6-ELCAC. We do not appreciate sweeping, baseless generalizations and misconceptions about the mandate of the NTF–ELCAC by no less than the second highest official of this country,” Gonzales said.
The NTF-ELCAC, created through Executive Order 70, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 institutionalizing the whole-of-nation approach to address the local communist armed conflict.
It is a convergence of various government agencies grouped into 12 clusters with their specific mandates.
The government has been trying to address the root cause of the insurgency through a holistic approach, according to Gonzales.
He added that the taskforce is one with the vice president in trying to reach out to less privileged sectors and their “common enemy” is the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
Gonzales also urged Robredo not to vilify the word Tokhang, which is a combination of Bisayan words katok (knock) and hangyo (request).
“It was a program intended to encourage drug users and pushers to avail (themselves) of community-based rehabilitation programs. Data indicate that thousands of drug users and even pushers have been reformed and were provided an opportunity to start anew,” he added.
Robredo on Tuesday cited as reasons for the proposed abolition the duplication of mandates with the creation of the taskforce. She also feared that it will serve as a vehicle to launch Tokhang Version 2.
The problem of insurgency, according to Robredo, could not be addressed using a “purely militaristic approach” but by looking into the root of the problem. (PNA)
