𝗡𝗧𝗙-𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗔𝗖: 𝗙𝗲𝗯. 𝟮𝟲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵

February 25, 2026

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday expressed full support for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) as it proceeds with the February 26 disqualification hearing against Kabataan Partylist, calling the proceedings a “timely warning” to safeguard Filipino youth from exploitation and violent radicalization.

In a press statement, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. stressed that the hearing is rooted in law and due process — not politics.

“This hearing is not political theater. It is due process,” Torres said.

The task force pointed to what it described as a disturbing pattern involving youth linked to Kabataan-affiliated networks who later surfaced within the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA).

According to NTF-ELCAC, repeated incidents in which students transitioned from campus activism to armed insurgency reflect an alleged ideological “pipeline.”

“When young students repeatedly surface in NPA structures, it ceases to be coincidence. It becomes a pipeline,” the statement read.

The petition before COMELEC, the task force said, is anchored on sworn testimonies, public records, and documented affiliations. It cited the Party-List System Act, which bars organizations that advocate or support armed rebellion from participating in the democratic process.

“The central question is simple: Does Kabataan genuinely represent the youth, or has it become a staging ground for recruitment into the underground movement?” Torres further stressed.

He emphasized that the issue is not activism but alleged exploitation of democratic platforms.

“Activism is a democratic right. Grooming young Filipinos into violent extremism is not,” he added. “This is not persecution. This is protection. This is not about silencing dissent. It is about stopping deception.”

Torres called on COMELEC to act firmly based on law and evidence and urged parents, educators, civil society groups, and the youth to remain vigilant.

“Democracy must never be used as a shield for subversion. Our youth deserve empowerment, not exploitation,” he said.

The February 26 hearing, he emphasized, is more than a legal proceeding — it is a national warning.