The Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) strongly denounces the latest round of disinformation from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the broader security establishment it represents.
Manufactured “Partnerships”
NTF-ELCAC recently circulated a post describing a briefing with a UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) representative as a “strengthened partnership” against alleged CPP-NPA abuses. In reality, the task force simply presented 71 documented cases to an OHCHR representative, who merely noted the materials would be forwarded to the appropriate international mechanisms. Routine documentation sharing is not an endorsement or a formal partnership—especially from a body whose mandate is to scrutinize state actors, not collaborate with them.
This tactic is systematic. Days earlier, the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division (5ID) published a photo framing a visit by Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co. Co to Kalinga State University on 14 August as a multi-sectoral “convergence.” Rep. Co publicly refuted the claim, confirming no unity now agreement was discussed, and demanded a retraction. The pattern is clear: show up uninvited, take a photo, and publish a narrative of false consensus.
Exploiting Tragedies for Political Agendas
Following the shootings in Tacloban (22 June) and Ateneo de Zambaonga (18 August), NTF-ELCAC issued a statement that ostensibly disclaimed any ideological motive, only to immediately pivot into detailed narratives on alleged communist recruitment of youth. By asking rhetorical questions about student deaths and resurrecting pending anti-communist bills under the banner of preventing “terror grooming,” the task force implied a connection it could not legally defend.
The facts tell a completely different story:
- Source of Weapons: Both shootings involved state-issued or legally registered security personnel firearms—a police officer’s service weapon in Tacloban and a customs official’s firearms in Zamboanga.
- Actual Findings: Investigations into Tacloban point toward an online violent extremism network (“764”) with no CPP-NPA link. In Zamboanga, authorities are examining online influence and firearm security, not insurgent recruitment.
No red-tagged youth organization has been linked to either case.
Real Harm to Communities
If “grooming” occurs, it stems from state propaganda tactics. NTF-ELCAC routinely targets students, educators, and activists without due process. In the name of “community awareness,” military personnel have even shown graphic photos of slain combatants to first to third year college students. This normalizes state violence and red-tagging, which historically precedes harassment, illegal arrests, and violence against advocates.
Rewarding Manipulation
Despite this record, the proposed 2027 national budget increases NTF-ELCAC’s allocation from ₱8.08 billion to ₱9.74 billion, even as education and basic social services face severe cuts. Rewarding a worsening pattern of misrepresentation with expanded funding is unacceptable.
CPDG’s Demand
CPDG demands the immediate abolition and complete defunding of NTF-ELCAC, rejecting its proposed ₱9.74 billion allocation in the 2027 national budget and reallocating these public resources directly to health, education, and essential social services for marginalized communities.
CPDG calls on human rights organizations, educators, youth leaders, and civil society to stand united in rejecting state-sponsored deception and demanding true accountability. The government must stop prioritizing a bloated propaganda machine that thrives on fearmongering and red-tagging at the expense of its citizens. The only principled path forward is to abolish NTF-ELCAC once and for all and redirect state resources toward genuine public welfare, education, and human rights protection. #