Group Bayan seeks dismantling of NTF-ELCAC

UN Special Rapporteur Ian Fry (File photo from the website of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)

MANILA, Philippines – Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday prodded Congress to abolish the National Task Force on Ending Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

The move comes following the call of United Nations (UN) special rapporteur Ian Fry to dissolve the agency amid alleged human rights controversies.

Bayan said the UN envoy was correct in saying that NTF-Elcac “is operating beyond its original mandate and is red-tagging people from the community and the indigenous peoples’ groups.”

“In light of the call of a United Nations special rapporteur to disband the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, Congress should immediately move to defund the agency to prevent more human rights abuses in the country,” the group added.

“Instead of hostaging the budget of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Senate should just scrap the P10.2 billion allotment for the NTF-Elcac in the proposed 2024 budget,” it suggested.

In response, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año objected to Fry’s recommendation.

He described Fry’s observations as incomplete.

Año said he had invited Fry to a dialogue.

Fry visited the Philippines from November 6 to 15.

He will submit a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2024.