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By Robina Asido

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan recommends the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the issuance of an executive order denouncing the red tagging in the country.

In a press conference in Mandaluyong City on Friday, Khan stressed that the NTF-ELCAC that was created six years ago is already outdated.

"NTF ELCAC was established about six years ago in a different context. It is outdated. It does not take into account the ongoing prospects of peace negotiations. I therefore recommend that the task force should be abolished, she said.

Khan said the abolition of NTF-ELCAC "will not only address some of the most critical drivers of red tagging, but it will also allow this administration to modernize peacebuilding approaches based on this changing political landscape".

"The abolition will allow for a more inclusive peacemaking platform or platforms with participation of women peacemakers, and communities as a genuine whole of nation approach to peace," she added.

Emphasizing its accomplishments, Jonathan Malaya, Assistant Director General of National Security Council noted that it is not the right time to abolish the NTF ELCAC.

"Given the two supervening events, the strategic victory over the NPA (New People's Army) and the exploratory peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front), it would not be proper at this time to abolish the NTF-ELCAC. The NTF-ELCAC has been the game-changer in the government's fight against communist terrorism," he said.

Malaya said the call to abolish the NTF ELCAC was considered by the government as Khan's "preliminary recommendation" and noted the administration's openness for possible transformation of the task force.

"Final recommendation will come months after and she requested for documents and other materials that can be used to complete her recommendation," he said.

"When we discussed the status of the NTF-ElCAC, we assured her that we are open for reform and we assured her that given the new tone of the administration, there is opportunity here for transformation," he added.

Malaya said the government also told Khan that "NTF-ELCAC does not engage in red tagging."

Khan also recommended the issuance of an Executive Order denouncing the red tagging as she noted that the Philippine government "reassured that it does not encourage or endorse" red tagging although it admitted that it does not have policy related to this.

"I have asked the government openly whether they have a policy on red tagging, and I was reassured that it does not encourage or endorse. But there is clear evidence that red tagging and terror tagging are being practiced by security forces as part of their counter terrorism strategy," she said.

"I have called on the government to adopt a policy on fighting red tagging, I have recommended an Executed Order denouncing this practice and setting out very clear measures that can be taken to discourage, disincentivize and discipline those who violate the policy," and "I have encourage the National Human Rights Commission to speed up its work that it is now going to define red tagging and proposed a legislation," she added.

Khan, who has been here for 12 days, is the third United Nation Special Rapporteur who visited the country during the present administration.

She noted that there were a total of ten Special Rapporteurs who have been invited to visit the Philippines in the 22 years. DMS