No reason to abolish NTF-ELCAC, says Marcos

Following the Supreme Court's ruling that red-tagging threatens a person's life and liberty, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. maintained Thursday that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) would not be abolished.

The President said that NTF-ELCAC, which has repeatedly earned the ire of militant groups over its alleged practice of red-tagging individuals, should be allowed to carry out its important mission.

"Ito nga. Ako na magtatanong sa inyo: Bakit lagi niyong tinatanong sa akin 'yan? Wala namang dahilan kung bakit natin tatanggalin 'yan. Ang sinasabi, dahil mayroon daw red-tagging na ginagawa," Marcos said in an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro City.

(So, let me be the one to ask you: Why do you always ask me about that? There is no reason to remove the task force. Some of its critics cite the practice of red-tagging.)

"Hindi naman gobyerno gumagawa noon. Kung sinu-sinong iba ang gumagawa noon. Quite the opposite," he added.

(It's not being carried out by the government. All sorts of people do that. Quite the opposite.)

Marcos said the government's anti-insurgency task force would continue to cleanse the remaining barangays from insurgency.

"Tatapusin namin kasi mayroon pa yatang iilan na barangay na hindi pa natapos. May iilan pa na mga returnees na hindi pa nabigyan ng tulong," Marcos said.

(Let us get our job done because there are some barangays who have yet to receive aid.)

"Kaya nakakuha ako ng report kanina. Tatapusin namin lahat 'yan bago natin pag-isipan na mai-ano 'yung NTF-ELCAC. Tanggalin na natin 'yan NTF-ELCAC pagka hindi na kailangan," he added.

(I received a report earlier today. We will finish all of that before we think about [the future of] NTF-ELCAC. We can remove NTF-ELCAC when we no longer need it.)

Recently, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Marcos should adopt measures to end red-tagging, such as the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC.

The HRW issued its statement after the Supreme Court ruled that red-tagging and guilt by association threaten a person's right to life, liberty, or security as it granted a writ of amparo in favor of former Bayan Muna lawmaker Siegfred Deduro.

However, the National Security Council (NSC) said calls to abolish the government's anti-insurgency task force were "unfounded" and "uncalled for."

In a statement, NSC spokesperson Jonathan Malaya pointed out that the NTF-ELCAC helped in weakening guerilla fronts. — VDV, GMA Integrated News