• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) not to overlook victims of alleged New People’s Army (NPA) atrocities as it conducts an inquiry into “red-tagging.”
In a statement, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. said that while the agency recognizes the importance of investigating allegations of red-tagging, attention should also be given to civilians and communities affected by communist insurgency.
Torres said families of slain civilians, former rebels, indigenous leaders, and youths allegedly coerced into joining the NPA have long spoken about exploitation, intimidation, and violence.
“Ignoring their voices risks silencing another set of victims. Hindi dapat namimili ang malasakit sa karapatang pantao (Compassion or concern for human rights should not be selective),” he said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earlier reported that more than 60 civilians in Negros Island, accused by the NPA as military informants, were killed from 2005 to April this year. According to the AFP, some of the killings were admitted by the communist group.
Torres stressed that public discourse on human rights should not focus solely on allegations against state forces.
“The killings of civilians branded as ‘spies,’ the coercion of indigenous peoples, and the grooming of students into extremism also demand recognition and justice. Protecting rights must go hand in hand with confronting the realities of armed violence and underground recruitment,” he said.
The NTF-ELCAC official also warned against what he described as vague standards that could suppress legitimate discussions on national security concerns.
“Government must be able to talk about recruitment patterns and armed group activities when backed by facts, testimonies, and judicial findings. Accountability should be precise, not selective,” Torres said.
“Democracy is strengthened not by silencing one truth, but by confronting all forms of abuse — honestly, consistently, and without selective outrage,” he added.*
