VP Leni slammed for wanting to abolish NTF-ELCAC

VICE President Leni Robredo cannot expect to get the support of the poorest communities in far-flung areas of the country for parroting the propaganda line of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) calling for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

At the same time, former CPP cadres and officials who have returned to the fold of the law have also slammed the Senate, specifically, Senate Finance Committee chair, Sen. Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara, for drastically reducing the 2022 budget of the task force’s ‘Barangay Development Program’ (BDP) by a whooping P24 billion, leaving it nearly inutile in addressing rural poverty that is one of the root causes behind the more than 5-decades terrorist activities of the CPP in the country.

In doing so, Angara, like Robredo, proved himself susceptible to the propaganda line of the CPP and its members and allies in both chambers of Congress that the task force should either be abolished or defunded.

In a much-criticized statement last November 9, 2021, before the members of the Rotary Club of Makati, Robredo sounded like a CPP minion instead of a statesman, saying she would push for the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC, describing it as “duplication of many efforts.”

She added she would also create a “conducive environment” for the revival of the peace talks with the terrorist group.

“I am demanding not just from the CPP-NPA-NDF but also from the government to create a more conducive and enabling environment for peace negotiations to resume,” Robredo said.

Clearly ignorant of what the NTF-ELCAC is all about, Robredo, again sounding like a CPP spokesperson, simplified her view of the task force’s efforts as a “purely militaristic approach.”

The depth of the Vice President’s ignorance was shown when she enumerated what her ‘policies’ would be, should she get elected as president:

“Also, improve the targeting and increase of resources for basic services and communities with special focus on conflict-affected areas.

“Kapag sinabi nating (When we say) services, that would include education, health, social protection, basic infrastructure for livelihood, communication and connectivity, microfinance.” All of the above, it should be noted, are already being implemented by the NTF-ELCAC in the last two years under its ‘Barangay Development Program’ (BDP).

Condemnation pours on Angara

Meanwhile, a nationwide outpouring of dismay and condemnation have been pouring over the head of Senate Finance Committee chair, Sen. Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara, for agreeing, with CPP allies in the Senate, to “cripple” the task force’s BDP budget by chopping it down to the barest minimum that his committee can give—from P28.1 billion to just P4.11 billion.

Angara’s decision is expected to turn the NTF-ELCAC into an impotent agency that would have nothing to show in terms of accomplishments next year—fueling resentment against the government among the country’s poor– which is the CPP’s ‘Plan B’ next to its call for the task force’s abolition.

In defending his decision, Angara showed not only intellectual dishonesty but also mental laziness and irresponsibility as lawmaker when he averred the task force is yet to account for its expenditures, involving the P16.4 billion budget for the BDP this year.

However, National Security Adviser and task force chair, Sec. Hermogenes Esperon, in a statement last November 12, 2021, pointed out “the NTF-ELCAC transparency page is publicly available for any and all Filipinos who wish to be updated with the status of all projects within the conflict-affected communities, and how the money is being spent for programs and projects aimed and sustainable grassroots development.”

In an ‘Open Letter’ to the Senate, 835 local, regional and national organizations under ‘Sambayanan’ (Sentrong Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Bayan), also called on Angara and the Senate to restore the P28.1 billion budget request for the BDP.

“As former cadres, members and mass supporters of the Communist Terrorist Groups, we only have our high desire for peaceful and progressive communities of peasants and Indigenous Peoples that have been wrapped in violence and chaos because of the reign of terror of the terrorist group we once served,” Sambayan told Angara.

The multi-sectoral alliance mostly consisted of former ranking cadres and officials of the CPP who have realized their mistake and are now actively engaged in supporting the activities of the NTF-ELCAC in order to convince their remaining erstwhile comrades to peacefully return to mainstream society.

“The NTF-ELCAC has been effective in addressing the root causes of communist insurgency at the grassroots level, paved the way for development and social services to be channeled unimpeded to communities long-been deprived and neglected by the government, and were

made haven of communist insurgents,” the group added.

Sambayan also reminded Angara that there is no comparison between the fight against COVID-19 and the over 5-decades of CPP terrorism.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the long running communist terrorist-insurgency need not be considered as contradicting government health and security concerns. Both must be treated as co-existing parallel priorities that need to be decisively addressed by the government.

“There’s no need to compare and contradict the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the CPP-NPA-NDF communist terrorism.

“Both must be treated appropriately as parallel national priorities for national security interest,” the statement added.

Aside from Sambayanan, appeals and condemnation of Angara’s decision have also been aired during the past week by local officials in different parts of the country where their once CPP-infested communities are now beneficiaries of the BDP.