PRESS RELEASE | Statement of the National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo M. Año on UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan’s recommendation to abolish the NTF-ELCAC

Date 02-01-2024

We respectfully disagree with UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan’s recommendation made this morning to abolish the NTF ELCAC.

We are already at strategic victory in our campaign against the CPP-NPA-NDF and to turn back now will be counterproductive and would render moot the “whole of nation” approach that has been very successful in breaking the back of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the past 5 years. The fact remains that the Communists are not yet finished. There are still 11 weakened guerilla fronts across the country with some 1,500 armed regulars seeking to overthrow our democracy and the duly constituted government and wreaking havoc and terrorism in the countryside.

If the issue is “red-tagging,” the NTF ELCAC does not encourage nor support “red tagging.” We wish to underscore once again the Marcos Administration has not issued any law, rule, or policy instrument that implements “red tagging” or even uses the word “red-tagging.” The term has no basis and cannot be attributed to any current government policy, program or activity.

It is not a policy of any body or instrumentality of government. There is also no legal and binding definition nor is it considered a crime under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines.

Nonetheless, if there are persons who are aggrieved, they have numerous legal remedies. Instead of going to media, they can always go to court and file cases for against those they consider responsible for libel, oral defamation or whatever cases that the NUPL, Karapatan, FLAG and their allied organizations can think of. They can also file administrative cases with the Ombudsman or the Civil Service Commission if the alleged offending party is a government official or employee.

Once all guerilla fronts have been dismantled – hopefully this year – the NTF ELCAC intends to transition to a NTF-Unity Peace and Development but not a day sooner.

We have relayed this position to UNSR Irene Khan during the Exit Conference this morning and we hope she will consider this in her final report.