CHEd’s membership in NTF-Elcac alarms Kabataan solon

Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel (Photo from his Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines — The membership of Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chair Prospero de Vera III in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) was deemed “bothersome” by Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel.

During the House committee on appropriations hearing on CHEd’s proposed budget, De Vera disclosed he, along with other department secretaries, were indeed members of the task force when Manuel asked about its legal basis.

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“I’m just bothered kasi recently, sa dami ng tasks ng CHEd, dinagdag pa ‘yung pagiging member ng NTF-Elcac. Gusto lang natin itanong kasi explicitly naman nakalagay sa Executive Order (EO) No. 70 sino ang dapat na members ng task force. Ano ang legal basis or guidelines for CHEd to become a member of NTF-Elcac?” the lawmaker asked.

(I’m bothered since CHEd has a lot of tasks, including its membership in the NTF-Elcac. I want to ask what the legal basis or guidelines are for CHEd to become a task force member since EO 70 has already listed the eligible members.)

In response, De Vera said that the list of agencies covered by the task force has expanded, as he revealed that “additional members were sworn into office by the President recently.”

“CHEd is one of the additional members of the NTF-Elcac, just like the secretaries of all major departments. That’s why I’m a member of the NTF-Elcac,” he added.

Under the EO, which was signed on December 4, 2018, former chief executive Rodrigo Duterte directed the adoption of a national peace framework and institutionalizing the whole-of-nation approach to attain “inclusive and sustainable peace” in the country to supposedly “address the root causes” of the armed conflict.

Citing this, Manuel pointed out that the government did not publicize any amendment or supplemental guidelines related to the EO.

“Kaya ang nangyari parang arbitrary or highly discretionary kung sino ang nagiging bahagi ng task force. Saan sa mandate ng CHEd yung ganon para siya mag-cooperate sa ganitong task force?” he asked.

(What happened seems arbitrary or highly discretionary as to who becomes part of the task force. Where in CHED’s mandate did it approve his cooperation with this task force?)

De Vera said their mandate is information dissemination to higher education institutions, adding that NTF-Elcac “disseminates government programs and information to the students.”

“Doon kami pumpwesto sa information dissemination. Kung may mga request ang agencies or may mga activities na po-pondohan, we mobilize the higher education institutions to be venues for information dissemination of government agencies,” he explained.

(We are under information dissemination. If the agencies have requests or some activities need funding, we mobilize the higher education institutions to be venues for information dissemination by government agencies

But the lawmaker said CHEd should focus more on other programs that need more funding, pointing out that its membership under the task force is “contrary” to its mandate and “even endangers constituents,” including students and faculty members.