Anti-insurgency task force slams Satur Ocampo over opinion vs. ‘localized’ peace talks

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) on Sunday slammed former Representative Satur Ocampo for his opinion piece discrediting the ‘localized’ peace efforts of the government.

In the opinion article published in a newspaper on Saturday, former Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ocampo said the localized peace interventions degrade the agreements done during the engagements on the national level.

“Great opinion, Mr. Satur Ocampo but who needs your ideas?” NTF ELCAC spokesperson Major General Antonio Parlade Jr. said in a statement.

Ocampo said under Executive Order 70, insurgency is tagged as “symptomatic of broader social, economic and historical problems, such as poverty, historical injustice, and social inequality.” These should be addressed to attain “inclusive and sustainable peace," he said.

The order also institutionalized the whole-of-nation” approach (WONA) addressing the root causes of insurgency by prioritizing the delivery of basic services, social development, and active participation of all sectors of society in the pursuit of the peace agenda, he added.

Ocampo said the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) rejected the localized approach because it is divisive rather than unifying. The former congressman co-founded the NDFP and headed before its panel negotiating peace with the government.

Aside from the NDFP, multisectoral groups are also calling to resume the peace talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) in the national level, he said.

Parlade said, however, that national level peace talks make “many of the terrorists” suddenly be considered as peace consultants.

He added that peace negotiations embolden the Kamatayan bloc, referring to Makabayan bloc, to sell themselves as an alternative solution to the problems of the society.

With national peace talks, Parlade said Communist Party of the Philippines-NDF gained more leverage by having more opportunity to allegedly deceive presenting themselves as social activists, human rights defenders, and academic freedom fighters.

Parlade asked Ocampo if he is discrediting EO 70 and the NTF ELCAC for its holistic and focused approach to achieve peace: “You (Ocampo) don’t want livelihood and poverty reduction measures for our impoverished and marginalized sector? Strange, Mr. Ocampo, but not really.”

“You are the greatest scam of the century. Write about that next time Mr Ocampo,” he added. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News