Dear Editor,

What needs ending? The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, or NTF-ELCAC, will do everything it can within its means and power, using its imagination, self-made narratives, and “proposals” (with a budget), to make itself relevant and thus continue receiving its huge funding. But funding for whom and for what purpose?

Be wise and mature in discerning what the task force is really up to, dear countrymen (and budget approvers). Don’t let them fool you. Take what they say and “report” always with a grain of salt.

They are now actively into “information campaigns” for Filipino students when the needed information campaign for our students and our youth, in general, is one that will enlighten them about the abuses and excesses of many of our politicians/officials and law enforcers (as bad examples) so that the “hope of the motherland” (Jose Rizal) for future generations may be guided aright, brightly, and uprightly.

Teachers and academics (as reported) are opposed to the partnership of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations with the NTF-ELCAC. It is “misguided and self-defeating,” they said. Yes, why allow yourselves to be used?

Scholars for Peace released an official statement: “Lest we forget, even entire academic institutions, including private schools, have been targets of red-tagging due to the persistent insinuations of NTF-ELCAC officials that schools and universities are the preferred recruitment spots of the Communist Party of the Philippines.”

But what school “terror grooming” by the Communist Party of the Philippines are they talking about when the said leftist organization is almost non-existent, with its founder and “active” chieftain (away from the country), Jose Maria Sison, six feet under since 2022? And the remnants of the communist movement, as the military brags, have been reduced to a number that can be counted on one’s fingers, so to speak?

Hence, the NTF-ELCAC has to create enemies and “terrorists” (among peace-loving Filipinos) in the minds of everyone via red-tagging. Do we have — officials as members of our National Security Council?

Even the Supreme Court warned them about endangering the lives of people through red-tagging. The High Court has this on its official website as an announcement to the public: “The Supreme Court has declared that red-tagging, vilification, labeling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, and security, which may justify the issuance of a writ of amparo.”

You may silence people and the courageous, but not the truth (and God).

You may silence people and the courageous, but not the truth (and God).

Alas! The NTF-ELCAC will have to spend billions in “confidential” pesos (as they have been doing) just to monitor the movements of government critics and noble-hearted people like Patricia Non, the originator of the Community Pantry during the lockdown at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (remember?), not to mention beauty-and-brains actress Liza Soberano and our very own 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray (and more) who were red-tagged for merely being concerned citizens.

Think about the government’s “intelligence community” and its operations, and you will have to think hard — very hard — to determine if they indeed have any intelligence.

This is ridiculous. Instead of being abolished or defunded, the NTF-ELCAC is very good at finding ways to increase its budget — by proposing to do more work that is the job of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, such as distributing “ayuda.”

And, lame and poignant, Malacañang, the budget department, and Congress seem to be too naive and gullible (each time) that they succumb and sanction/canonize its proposed “hallowed” budget.

Shouldn’t the government focus instead on the more real “terror grooming” by the NTF-ELCAC, which corrupts young minds, including our youth/budding leaders in the barangays, through its corrupt, narcissistic, soulless, heartless, ruthless, greedy ways?