DILG vows to be transparent with UN special rapporteur Khan

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) vowed to be transparent to United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, who is in the Philippines to examine the state of rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the country.

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos, however, said he would not be able to meet Khan as he has prior appointments. 

''I have sent our Usec., to meet with her because I’ve got previous schedules and I think the discussion will be all about ELCAC. And if I am not mistaken, the Council of Anti-Terrorism,'' Abalos said at a Palace press briefing. 

"Well, wala po tayong itinatago (we are not hiding anything), we will be transparent as we are, we are a democratic country, we follow all the law here. If ever ganoon po ang magiging discussion po rito,'' he added. 

In a separate statement, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said it has expressed its commitment to collaborate with Khan in improving its mechanism.

“The NTF-ELCAC has expressed its appreciation for Ms. Khan's constructive engagement and cooperation, reaffirming its dedication to identifying opportunities for collaboration to enhance the organization's mechanisms,” it said.

The NTF-ELCAC joined the dinner with Khan hosted by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) and other government agencies.

During the dinner, NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. presented to her the Executive Order No. 70, s. 2018, which created the Task Force.

Torres also discussed how the EO established the whole-of-government approach and whole-of-nation participation in addressing the local armed conflict in the country.

“We have 12 clusters in the NTF-ELCAC with a collective goal of safeguarding freedom of expression and protecting civic space, which are fundamental rights of utmost importance,” Torres said.

“With this visit and the scheduled meeting, we can gain insights and identify opportunities for collaboration to finally put an end to this long-standing armed conflict in the country,” he added. —with Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News