By Reni M. Valenzuela
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 their imaginations and self-made narratives, and “proposals” (with a “budget”) — to make itself relevant and thus continue receiving their 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). Wag po kayong magpabola. Take what they say and “report” always with a grain and pinch 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 that which 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 right, bright and uprightly.
Teachers and academics (as reported) are opposed to the partnership of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea) with the NTF-ELCAC. It was “misguided and self-defeating,” they said. Bakit nga naman po kayo nagpapagamit?
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” of the Communist Party of the Philippines are they talking about when the said leftist organization is thus far almost non-existent, much less its founder and alleged “active” chieftain (away from the country), Jose Maria Sison, has been six feet below the ground since 2022, and the remnants of the local communist movement, as bragged by the military, has been reduced to a number that can be counted with the number of fingers of one human being, 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 for endangering the lives of people through red-tagging. The High Court has this in its official website as announcement to the public: “The Supreme Court has declared that red-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, or security, which may justify the issuance of a writ of amparo.”
You may silence people or the courageous, but not the truth (and God).
Alas! The NTF-ELCAC will have to spend billions of “confidential” pesos (as they have been doing it) just to monitor the movements of government critics and noble-hearted people like Patricia Non, the originator of Community Pantry during lockdown, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (remember?), not to mention beauty and brain actress Liza Soberano and our very own 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray (and more) who also suffered red-tagging for merely being concerned citizens
Ang lahat nang yan at maraming pang iba pa ay para lamang po gumalaw ang intelligence fund or “budget” nila nang sa gayon ay may ________ sila, at para na rin sa agendang mapulitika upang mapaboran ang mga nakaluklok, bilang pabango sa mga nakatataas.
Think about the government’s “intelligence community” and their operations — and you will have to think hard, very hard, to find if they have indeed — intelligence.
This is ridiculous: Instead of being abolished/defunded, the NTF-ELCAC is very good at finding ways to increase their budget — by proposing to do more works that are works of the Department of Social Welfare and Development such as distributing ayuda.
And, lame and poignant, Malacanang, the budget department and Congress appear to be too naive and gullible (each time) to succumb and sanction/canonize their proposed “hallowed” budget.
Should the government be focused instead on the more real or real “terror grooming” by the NTF-ELCAC, our politicians and law enforcers (both police and military) and the powers that be — by corrupting young minds in the country, including our youth/budding leaders in barangays through the former’s corrupt, narcissistic, soulless, heartless, ruthless, greedy ways (and hearts)?
End it all and therefore solve the problem, and the rest of the country’s problems that have stemmed from it — will be solved as well.
Voila, by doing so, the government needs not even a single peso as a budget to allocate. Hallelujah!
“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” – 1 Peter 3:14
Email: renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com
