Marcos urged to realign NTF-ELCAC budget to social services

MANILA, Philippines — Minority lawmakers at the House of Representatives are once again pushing to realign the budget of the government's anti-insurgency task force to education and social welfare programs.

On Monday's budget hearing at the lower chamber, Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which he said was one of two "Duterte legacies" being continued by his administration. 

Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) made the same call last week, saying such allocations "divert crucial funds from social services and genuine economic development."

"The bloated confidential and intelligence funds and the NTF-ELCAC are Duterte legacies being enjoyed by the Marcos admin," Manuel said. 

"If we have a personal campaign, that is to abolish the Marcos-chaired NTF-ELCAC and realign the confidential and intelligence funds of the Office of the President to education and social services," the lawmaker said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The controversial task force was created through Executive Order 70 signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2018. 

Since then, at least two United Nations special rapporteurs have recommended abolishing the task force due to its practice of red-tagging and endangering government critics, media workers, activists, rights defenders and other members of civil society. Rapporteurs are independent experts reviewing countries' rights situations for the UN.

In May, the Supreme Court issued a 39-page decision that established red-tagging as a threat to people’s life, liberty and security, and could warrant the issuance of a protection order. 

The Supreme Court decision did not specifically name the NTF-ELCAC, but rights groups welcomed the ruling for the expected boost it will give to pending legislation seeking to punish red-tagging and protect rights defenders.

"Does this have no bearing on our budget officials? These recommendations and points by other agencies?" Manuel asked, addressing Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and other budget officials present during the first day of the budget deliberations at the House.

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