The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict on Wednesday expressed full support for the Commission on Elections as it proceeds with the 26 February disqualification hearing against Kabataan Party-list, describing the proceedings as a “timely warning” to protect Filipino youth from exploitation and violent radicalization.

In a statement, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. said the hearing is grounded in law and due process.

“This hearing is not political theater. It is due process,” Torres said.

The task force cited what it described as a pattern involving youth linked to Kabataan-affiliated networks who later surfaced in the ranks of the New People’s Army.

According to NTF-ELCAC, incidents in which students allegedly transitioned from campus activism to armed insurgency reflect an ideological “pipeline.”

“When young students repeatedly surface in NPA structures, it ceases to be coincidence. It becomes a pipeline,” the statement read.

The petition before COMELEC is anchored on sworn testimonies, public records and documented affiliations, the task force said. It cited the Party-List System Act, which bars organizations that advocate or support armed rebellion from participating in the democratic process.

“The central question is simple: Does Kabataan genuinely represent the youth, or has it become a staging ground for recruitment into the underground movement?” Torres said.

He emphasized that the issue is not activism itself but the alleged misuse of democratic platforms.

“Activism is a democratic right. Grooming young Filipinos into violent extremism is not,” he added. “This is not persecution. This is protection. This is not about silencing dissent. It is about stopping deception.”

Torres urged COMELEC to act firmly based on law and evidence, and called on parents, educators, civil society groups and the youth to remain vigilant.

“Democracy must never be used as a shield for subversion. Our youth deserve empowerment, not exploitation,” he said.

He added that the 26 February hearing is more than a legal proceeding, describing it as a national warning.