“Tuluyang pinakita na ni Marcos Jr. ang dugong diktador! Ang pagtutol na buwagin ang NTF-ELCAC ay pagpayag na magpatuloy ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao,” remarked Fran Reyes, Gabriela Youth National Spokesperson.
Jonathan Malaya, Assistant Director General, and the National Security Council Spokesperson, confirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the continuation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). The NTF-ELCAC expressed its plan to restore the full funding of Php2.5 million for the Barangay Development Program (BDP) next year.
“Milyones na budget para pumatay sa mga mamamayang lumalaban sa katiwalian. Iyan ang trabaho ng NTF-ELCAC. Ang inumpisahang death squad na NTF-ELCAC ni Duterte ay pinagpapatuloy at pinapakinabangan ni Marcos Jr.,” commented Reyes.
Since Duterte implemented Executive Order 70 (Whole-of-nation-Approach) in 2018, which created the controversial NTF-ELCAC, cases of human rights violations had reportedly increased. It was also reported that those areas with most NTF-ELCAC funds had the most rights violations.
“Kaya yang pondo ng NTF-ELCAC ay mistulang bala na kumikitil ng buhay. Ito rin ay balon sa mga opisyales para sa kanilang korapsyon,” observed Reyes.
GABRIELA Youth has urged the youth, especially young women, to stand firm and never allow the NTF-ELCAC to continue its operations. The young women’s organization has emphasized the call for “pondo para sa edukasyon at ibang batayang serbisyo, hindi para sa panunupil at korapsyon.”| (PR)
