Private schools quit NTF-ELCAC to protect academic freedom
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' largest network of private schools has withdrawn from the government's controversial anti-insurgency task force, ending a contentious three-month membership that prompted pushback from student groups and education advocates.
The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) formally ended its membership from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on January 30 after consulting its member associations, according to a statement on Sunday, February 2.
COCOPEA represents over 1,500 private schools, including religious and non-sectarian schools, universities, colleges and technical-vocational institutes. The council serves as the main coordinating body for Philippine private education policy and advocacy.
The organization made its decision "after further consultation among its member associations and upon review of its core advocacies," according to their statement.
COCOPEA also cited the need to protect academic freedom in its decision to cut ties with the NTF-ELCAC.
"COCOPEA's withdrawal from the task force is of utmost significance in preserving the essentiality of academic freedom and the vital role it plays in a democratic society," the council said in its February 2 statement.
While pledging to remain "one with NTF-ELCAC's mission to achieve unity, peace, security, and socioeconomic development," the council said it would now engage only through external dialogue rather than formal membership.
COCOPEA's legal counsel, Joseph Noel Estrada, said in an interview with DZBB on Monday that the council needed to focus on urgent education matters rather than insurgency issues. He also cited the need for COCOPEA to preserve its independence as a non-government organization.
What came before. The council's membership under the NTF-ELCAC came to light in November 2024 when task force director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. announced that COCOPEA would help combat what he called "terror grooming" on campuses — a term that the NTF-ELCAC coined but is not used in academic or education policy.
The partnership was met with criticism from student groups. For instance, Student