By Junex Doronio
MANILA — After a 10-day visit to the Philippines, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan on Friday recommended the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to “address critical drivers of red tagging” and allow for more inclusive peacemaking platforms.
In a press conference, Khan who serves as the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, noted that the NTF-ELCAC was no longer applicable in the current context due to the PBBM administration’s announcement that it was reopening talks with communist guerrillas, which were stalled under the previous Duterte regime.
Vice President Sara Duterte, however, openly opposed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s plan to hold peace talks with the local Maoist insurgents who have been waging their “protracted armed struggle” against the government for more than 52 years now.
Khan said she also asked the PBBM administration to issue an executive order that stipulates a policy against red-tagging.
The NTF-ELCAC reportedly “red-tags” plain activists suspected of having links with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Khan also recommended that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) define red-tagging and terror-tagging and propose legislation against it.
Before Khan’s visit, UN Special Rapporteur Ian Fry also recommended the abolition of NTF-ELCAC.
(el Amigo/MNM)
