MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Bayan Muna has called for the dismantlement of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) amid issues hounding the task force regarding red-tagging, urging fellow lawmakers in the Senate to consider removing its funds. Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said on Friday that the NTF-ELCAC should not receive taxpayers’ money if all it does was spread lies and disinformation about people expressing legitimate dissent. Meanwhile, Gaite said that NTF-ELCAC funds might be misused, like how state authorities manipulated photos of alleged rebel surrenderees. Gaite asked whether the funds of NTF-ELCAC would be used to produce similar materials. “Would this fund be used to dismantle legitimate people’s organizations including the base of support of progressive party-lists—an aim the NTF-ELCAC so desperately belabors itself with?

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 23, 2020 16:52 UTC