Robredo clarifies: I’m still against NTF-Elcac’s move of red-tagging

Vice President Leni Robredo speaks before the Meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila on October 14, 2021. (FILE PHOTO) Screengrab from Facebook / OVP

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has clarified that she is still against the red-tagging spree and the overreaching mandate of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), stressing that the communist insurgency can only be solved by a whole-of-nation approach.

Robredo explained to reporters in Cebu City on Monday that even if she declared support for NTF-Elcac’s functions and mandate, her stance on the issue has not changed — she is still against using the task force to malign or harass critics of the government.

“Wala naman nagbago sa statement ko. Even before, I already said that I was for a whole of nation approach in… in solving insurgency, I’ve said it so many times already pero sinasabi ko hindi… hindi ako against sa mandato ng whole of nation approach,” she explained.

(Nothing changed in my statement, even before I already said that I was for a whole of nation approach in… in solving insurgency, I’ve said it so many times already but what I was saying is that I’m not against the mandate of a whole of nation approach.)

“Pero against ako [But I am against] the way NTF-Elcac has been red-tagging, the way they… the way the task force has been used to, to go beyond the mandate that the task force has been given,” she said.

Robredo said this after being asked to explain the allegedly conflicting statements she issued, as she said in a forum on November 9 that she wants NTF-Elcac abolished, only to say three weeks after that she supports its mandate.

READ: Robredo vows to abolish NTF-ELCAC, create ‘conducive environment’ for peace talks 

The Vice President also noted that she does not agree with red-tagging, or the process of linking critics of the government to the communist armed movement.

“Sa akin wala namang nagbago. Ako, ako from the very start I always said that a whole of nation approach is the way to go. Pero hindi ako agree na ‘yung pag– pag-iidentify ay masyadong subjective. ‘Yung-‘yung sa akin dapat NTF-Elcac should be beyond politics. it should not be used to harass political opponents,” she added.

(For me, nothing changed.  From the very start I have always said that a whole of nation approach is the way to go. But I do not agree with identifying who the communists are, as it is too subjective.  For me, NTF-Elcac should be beyond politics. it should not be used to harass political opponents..)

Robredo’s support for the mandate of NTF-Elcac elicited mixed reactions from her supporters and other observers, as several personalities within the opposition have been subjected to red-tagging at one point, under the current administration.

Another opposition leader in Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares said that Robredo’s supposed turnaround on NTF-Elcac is worrisome, contradicting the Vice President’s belief that only some careless members are making the task force look bad.

According to Colmenares, it is a systemic policy against people who are either harboring leftist beliefs, or are leaning to the left.

READ: Robredo says she supports NTF-ELCAC mandate, but ‘careless members’ put it in bad light 

READ: Robredo’s ‘turnaround’ on NTF-Elcac’s abolition is ‘worrisome’ — Colmenares 

Robredo further explained that the parts of the NTF-ELCAC she agrees with is the barangay development fund, which in theory seeks to give the communities the projects needed to develop it — therefore addressing the root causes of the communist insurgency.

But for her, peace negotiations, especially localized peace talks should resume as well, aside from nurturing barangays once occupied by communist groups.

“Ako agree ako na ‘yong help that is being given to really incentivizing barangays with the barangays development fund, I’m all for it. Ang hindi lang ako agree, ang hindi ako agree ‘pag ‘yung task force becomes so powerful na it is already used to to harass,” Robredo said.

(I agree that help that is being given to really incentivizing barangays with the barangays development fund, I’m all for it.  What I don’t agree with is when the task force becomes so powerful that it is already used to harass.)

“I would be open to resuming peace talks pero sa akin kasi hindi lang dapat national kasi a lot of — parang bawat isang lugar iba ‘yung dahilan kung bakit insurgency abounds, na para sa akin a lot of the core issues will be addressed ‘pag mas localized ‘yung usapan, that’s one,” she added.

(I would be open to resuming peace talks but for me, the talks should be not only national but also localized, to address the root cause or the core issues will be addressed.)

For the past 50 years, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), have been waging a war with the government, as it pushes for certain reforms and advocacies. It has been labeled as a terror group for a number of violent activities.

NTF-Elcac, meanwhile, was established to promote development in barangays or communities allegedly being terrorized by the rebels.  However, it has been accused several times of red-tagging and irresponsible statements, aside from inefficiency in delivering the projects.

During the deliberation of NTF-Elcac’s budget before the Senate, documents sent to Senate finance committee chair and Senator Sonny Angara revealed that only 26 of the 2,318 programs under the task force have been completed.

There are 900 projects are still in the pre-procurement stage, 700 in the procurement stage, and 560 are still being implemented.

READ: Senate documents say only 26 of 2,318 NTF-Elcac projects were completed 

JPV