CBCP public affairs commission joins NTF-ELCAC to dialogue on 'red-tagging' issues
By J.Lo
"Executive Committee agreed to have one from religious sector , CBCP, represented by Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, particularly Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista and his alternate,.. Father Jerome Secillano, who was physically present during meeting," National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) official said office of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has joined government's anti-communist task force with aim of engaging its officials on practice of state-sponsored red-tagging.
CBCP's Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs joined as one of new members of NTF-ELCAC to "address some Church issues vis-a-vis government, including issue about red-tagging of some cause-oriented groups and Church organizations by said body," CBCP said in statement. NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torre also announced in press conference CBCP will be one of the two private sector representatives joining task force, also recently expanded its membership to include nearly all department secretaries.
Since its creation in 2018, task force has consistently deployed dubious narratives against human rights defenders, members of Church organizations, and Church leaders, among others. Spate of red-tagging of Church leaders in 2021 prompted CBCP President Virgilio David to underscore how red-tagging is used by politicians to stifle dissent.
Torre said "at this point in our campaign," NTF-ELCAC deemed it "necessary" to invite two private sector representatives to join its roster as allowed by executive order creating the task force.
Task force is also "working on business sector representative" to fill in other slot for private sector representative.
After citing gains in anti-insurgency operations since task force's creation, Torre said "very necessary as informational operational environment change, we need to recalibrate way we do things."
CBCP clarified in same statement not CBCP as conference joined NTF-ELCAC, but its just public affairs office.
"As such, this Commission has access to NTF-ELCAC ExeCom and more opportunity to express Church's specific concerns, since its mandate is to act as liaison of CBCP to public and private sectors and to advance some of social concerns and issues of Roman Catholic Church….said Commission also has intention of providing moral-ethical approaches to dealing with problem of insurgency," CBCP President Virgilio David said.
David also said CBCP Permanent Council will come up with "concrete resolution" on the matter in its next meeting.
"Can this Commission engage said government body in dialogue without having to join its ExeCom as member ,i.e. as private sector representative…we hope to come up with some resolutions on this matter soon," David said.
Aside from CBCP, NTF-ELCAC has also expanded number of members of its executive committee.
The secretaries of 11 government agencies and departments have also joined task force, bringing total number of its members to 32.
These are Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation, Department of Tourism, Department of Energy, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, Department of Migrant Workers.
Executive Order No. 70, s. 2018, former President Rodrigo Duterte issued to create NTF-ELCAC, previously listed agencies as part of its membership Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agrarian Reform
With addition of 11 new departments in NTF-ELCAC's roster, this means 21 out of all 22 departments part of executive branch of government have representatives at anti-communist task force.
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