CPDG welcomes the proposals by six Senators – Senators Joel Villanueva, Grace Poe, Win Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Franklin Drilon, and Nancy Binay – to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). “The NTF-ELCAC is clearly counterproductive and its budget can be rechanneled to the most urgent pandemic-related development needs of our people instead of supporting the tightening of civic space in the country,” adds Maza. She also pointed out other bills critical for upholding and expanding civic space in the country: “We likewise urge Congress to pass the bills on criminalizing red-tagging and protecting human rights defenders.”