VICE President Leni Robredo is now suddenly at the receiving end of vitriolic attacks from personalities identified with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) after she ‘recanted’ from her earlier pronouncement calling for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and its centerpiece ‘Barangay Development Program’ (BDP).
Robredo backtracked from her original position after attending a ‘security briefing’ from the military establishment last November 26, 2021, led by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. General Andres Centino.
“I want to address the elephant in the room kasi I’ve been quoted so many times already that I’m for the abolition of NTF ELCAC.
“And I want to emphasize today that I am all for the mandate and the functions of ELCAC,” the vice president said, adding she also supports the BDP.
Emerging from the meeting, Robredo also later told the media that she is “very appreciative” of the AFP’s assistance to her office, especially in relation to her pandemic response activities.
“Noong pandemic grabe ang partnership natin with them (AFP).
“Madaming napapadala na PPE sets all over the country largely dahil sa tulong nila. Of course may private partners pero ang AFP tinutulungan tayo sa distribution sa Batanes at Tawi-Tawi,”
Robredo elaborated.
Robredo’s turnaround has come as a surprise to many quarters. Only last November 9, 2021, in a speech before the Rotary Club of Makati, Robredo was explicit in calling for the abolition of the NTF-ELCAC, claiming its activities are “purely militaristic approach” in addressing the 50-plus years of terrorism by the Communist Party of the Philippines (see also Pinoy Exposé, Volume 2, Issue No. 44).
Not wasting his time, former Bayan Muna partylist representative, Atty. Neri Colmenares, claimed the vice-president’s statements now favoring the task force and the BDP is “worrisome.”
“May I respectfully point out to the Vice President that the problem with the NTF-ELCAC cannot be merely attributed to its ‘careless member’ but to a systemic policy that includes harassment and attacks against anyone perceived to be left-leaning or critical of the administration,” Colmenares said in a statement a day after Robredo’s fulsome praise of the AFP and the NTF-ELCAC.
Bayan Muna, along with other partylist groups under the so-called ‘Makabayan Bloc’ are known front organizations of the CPP in Congress.
These groups are part of the ‘1Sambayan’ coalition that is supporting the presidential bid of Robredo.
Despite their political ‘alliance,’ Robredo and others in 1Sambayan junked the senatorial candidacy of Colmenares in its senatorial slate.