Reintegration, barangay dev’t programs at stake if NTF-ELCAC defunded, says DND exec

Despite red-tagging concerns, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) must not be defunded to sustain its projects for reintegration and barangay development, among others, a defense official said Tuesday.

Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu, chairperson of Task Force Balik-Loob, E-CLIP, and NTF-ELCAC’s Amnesty Program Cluster, said defunding the controversial task force will “jeopardize the progress we have made over the past years.”

“It will also validate the propaganda of the CTG (communist terrorist groups) that the government has forsaken these communities,” he claimed in a statement.

P19.1 billion in the 2021 budget has been allocated to the controversial task force, which has red-tagged—accused of having communist ties—schools, organizations, and individuals.

“Instead of defunding, we must all rally behind the NTF-ELCAC so that our peace and development efforts will continue to be sustained. The peace dividends we are planting today will ultimately benefit our whole nation and the future generation of Filipinos.”

Several senators earlier urged the defunding of the task force after its spokespersons accused a community pantry organizer of having communist links. 

Ana Patricia Non, the Maginhawa community pantry organizer, dismissed the allegations as “fake news” and said she was mulling legal action. 

NTF-ELCAC chairman National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. also ordered the task force's spokespersons to stop making comments on community pantries. 

Malacañang has rejected calls to defund the task force, which was created by President Rodrigo Duterte, insisting that the public will benefit from its projects. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News