EXECUTIVE Order (EO) No. 70 aims to address the root causes of insurgency to end local armed conflict in the countryside.
With EO 70, government agencies are more focused on delivering the most needed services to eliminate social issues that these communist groups are capitalizing, also offering the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) Terrorist a new and peaceful though E-CLIP.
Those who wish to defund NTF-ELCAC therefore reject the idea of ending these 52 years of insurgency through peace and progress, and are no different than the CPP-NPA terrorist.
Recently, the senators who signed and approved NTF-ELACAC’s proposed P19-billion budget for the task force this year now wanted to defund and realign its budget just because of a one insulting word coming from General Parlade. Defunding our most effective strategy against 52 YEARS of insurgency over ONE insulting word? Seriously, does it butt-hurt you that much?
And where is the essence of the “whole-of-nation approach” if we just leave it all to the hands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines? Aren’t we supposed to support them in this battle of insurgency hence we call it whole-of-nation? The senators are the ones who signed NTF-ELCAC, they should be the first one to know the significance of it and defend it.
But what we got is the opposite, and to me it just feels like we are being betrayed. Have we forgotten the sacrifices of our soldiers in the battle area? The cries of the mothers over the death of their innocent children? We should not blame a good program just because of an irresponsible remark made by one person.
Removing Parlade might be acceptable, but ELCAC? Nah, only the CPP-NPA will benefit from the threat of defunding the NTF-ELCAC.
Dear senators, by defunding ELCAC you are giving our enemy a major feast. – LORENA S. FORMOSO, Quezon City <lorenasocrates4@gmail.com>
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Why defund peace and dev’t projects?
I DO NOT agree with the decision of the lawmakers to defund the NTF-ELCAC as it has been able to eradicate the CPP-NPA in our community. Many of the members have laid down their arms and returned to the fold, along with E-CLIP that changes their lives.
I am able to say this because my uncle was a former NPA. He surrendered because he heard in a radio that the government will give a cash-aid and livelihood program for those who will surrender. He, together with his two comrades, escaped and went to the nearest police station where he was properly handled. He was never abused nor tortured by the policemen and soldiers.
Thanks to the E-CLIP program of the NTF-ELCAC he is now free and reunited with us living as an ordinary tricycle driver. I’ll tell you more about him on my next letters.
If one must go, it should be General Parlade, not the ELCAC. Defunding the program that changed the life of my uncle and fosters development in our community is unacceptable. I hope that the NTF-ELCAC will continue to prosper and change more lives and communities. – JOHN PAUL B. SANDOVAL, Palawan State University-Brookes Point <islandboyJPaul@gmail.com>
