NTF-ELCAC calls Robredo ‘obstructionist’ for urging agency’s abolition

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson for sectoral concerns Lorraine Badoy on Wednesday slammed Vice President Leni Robredo after her remark in favor of the abolition of the agency.

Badoy, who is also Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) undersecretary, said Robredo was "not educating herself" on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70, which created the NTF-ELCAC.

The NTF-ELCAC said the EO is "grounded on a whole-of-nation approach,” which aims to put an end to the local communist armed conflict that “has cost the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos over the course of more than five decades.”

Badoy said the Vice President’s stand against the agency only shows her “ignorance” about the government's mission in ending the local communist armed conflict.

“You insulted quite a lot of public servants who are doing hard work, who are really putting real man hours and are making a big difference for our people,” she said in a statement.

“The vice president is not a true opposition but an obstructionist to the welfare of many people,” she added.

Badoy also challenged Robredo to visit the barangays assisted by the agency's  Barangay Development Program (BDP) which, she said, which gave access to water, farm to market roads, schools and housing projects.

GMA News Online has reached out to Robredo's camp for comment.

'Tokhang Version 2'

In calling for the NTF-ELCAC to be abolished, Robredo said she was worried the agency could be used for "Tokhang Version 2, in the sense that the mandate given to the body will be abused, will be used to harass people."

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.

She also then maintained that peace talks with communists groups should resume for the government policy to be more inclusive.

The NTF-ELCAC's actions have stirred controversy, with then-spokesperson and retired military officer Antonio Parlade Jr. linking administration critics, celebrities, community pantry organizers, and schools to the communist movement—a practice called red-tagging.

He left the NTF-ELCAC ahead of his retirement last July and was appointed as deputy director-general of the National Security Council (NSC).

Progressive lawmakers from the House of Representatives have also called for the abolition of the agency, saying that the NTF-ELCAC “did not stop from red-tagging and hurting activists.”

Some senators, meanwhile, have urged defunding the NTF-ELCAC, and questioned the need to allocate funds to the task force.

In August, lawmakers balked at the agency's proposed P28.1-billion budget for 2022, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, the Senate Finance Committee slashed it to P4 billion, realigning the rest to health-related programs instead.

National Security Adviser and NTF-ELCAC vice chair Hermogenes Esperon Jr. protested the move. "I hope they understand that we are addressing a 53-year insurgency led by the CPP-NPA-NDF Terrorist triad," he said. — BM, GMA News