Following her 10-day official visit to the Philippines, United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, has issued a call for the government to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Khan emphasized that dismantling the task force would aid in addressing red-tagging and creating more comprehensive peace-building platforms in the country.
During a media briefing, Khan highlighted the outdated nature of the creation of NTF-ELCAC six years ago, and stressed the necessity for the government to modernize peace-building approaches while considering ongoing prospects of peace negotiations. Additionally, Khan recommended the issuance of a clear policy through an executive order from the Marcos administration to discourage red-tagging, particularly among government officials.
In contrast, the government has expressed that there are no immediate plans to disband the NTF-ELCAC. In a joint statement issued by NTF-ELCAC, Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, Presidential Task Force on Media Security, and Presidential Human Rights Committee, they reiterated their commitment to balancing the rights to association and expression with the fundamental right to life. They also emphasized the complexities of navigating security and freedom.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año rejected Khan’s proposal, emphasizing the success of NTF-ELCAC in weakening the New People’s Army and refuting the notion that red-tagging is encouraged or supported by the task force.
Irene Khan also expressed concern over the filing of grave defamation charges against environment activists and called for a review of similar cases. The Makabayan bloc submitted a report on the “attacks versus freedom of expression of the youth and students” by the Marcos administration to Khan, aiming to provide evidence of the real situation of democratic rights in the country.
Various groups and individuals, including human rights group Karapatan, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and former senator Leila de Lima, have shown support for Khan’s recommendations, including the immediate abolition of the NTF-ELCAC.
In conclusion, it is evident that Khan’s recommendations have elicited a strong response from different sectors of society, underscoring the significance of addressing issues related to freedom of expression and human rights in the Philippines. As discussions continue, the approach the government will take in response to these calls for reform in the NTF-ELCAC remains to be seen.
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