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Robredo wants NTF-ELCAC abolished
By LLANESCA T. PANTI,GMA NewsVice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday said she is in favor of the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), citing duplication of duty.
"There is really a duplication of many efforts — the duplication of the mandate - and it has to be abolished," she said during a forum organized by the Rotary Club of Makati.
"Ang pinakatakot ko dito is that, magiging [I fear that this will become] Tokhang Version 2 in the sense that the mandate given to the body will be abused, will be used to harass people."
Oplan Tokhang is part of the police's anti-drug operation where policemen knock on houses of drug suspects to make them surrender in peace. However, it has been linked to the deaths of thousands of drug suspects in hands of law enforcers.
Robredo, a presidential aspirant in the 2022 elections, said the Duterte administration's approach against insurgency is purely militaristic instead of targeting and increasing resources for basic services and communities with special focus on conflict-affected areas.
"When we talk of services, that is education, health, social protection, basic infrastructure for livelihood, communication and connectivity, microfinance, strengthening the government reintegration programs for former rebels, families and communities, to allow them to lead peaceful and productive civilian lives," Robredo said.
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"This cannot be solved by using a purely militaristic approach. We have to go to the root of the problem of insurgency to be able to give a more long-term solution to the same," she added.
Robredo then maintained that peace talks with communists groups should resume for the government policy to be more inclusive.
"I have always been very clear on my position on the issues on peace talks, the issues of NDF-NPA (National Democratic Front-New People's Army), issues on how to combat insurgency, and I have always been very vocal about my push to reengage, again, communities and civil society organizations in demanding not just from these groups but also from the government to create a more conducive and enabling environment for peace negotiations to resume," Robredo said.
"There must be a call for a complete cessation of hostilities and violence and to spare communities in conflict-affected areas. There must be a rejection of the militarist approaches to ending internal armed conflict, and instead, encourage strong participation of CSOs, the private sector, the church in the peace process,"
The Senate has decreased NTF-ELCAC's proposed 2022 budget by P24 billion in favor of funding health programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. —KBK, GMA News