NTF-Elcac to designate more spokespersons

By Neil Arwin Mercado / Philippine Daily Inquirer

Armed Forces of the Philippines – Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., who is also concurrent spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict, the anti-insurgency body under the Office of the President. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB File)

MANILA – Aside from the eight national spokespersons, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) will also have regional mouthpieces across the country, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco said Friday.

Egco, who is also one of the national spokespersons of the NTF-Elcac, said they are set to announce the designation of the regional spokespersons soon.

“Actually, kulang pa ‘yan,” Egco said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel when asked about the need for the agency to have multiple spokespersons.

“Ang ating principle dito is that a thousand messengers or a thousand voices with the same line of messaging. Isa lang naman ang messaging natin dito which is to end local communist armed conflict,” he added.

Egco said each region will have its own spokespersons.

“Ending local communist armed conflict is a multi-layered, multi-faceted effort. Hindi lang ito pwedeng sagutin ng isang Joel Egco, for instance. Ang daming mga issues na dapat pag-usapan at i-klaro sa ating mga kababayan,” Egco said.

The NTF-Elcac earlier designated six additional spokespersons to boost its communications team, bringing the total number of its national spokespersons to eight.

They are as follows:

• Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. for security sector operation

• Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy for social media affairs and the sectoral concern

• Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya for local government affairs, barangay development program, international engagement

• Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat Undersecretary Severo Catura for international affairs, peace process, human rights concerns

• Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Joel Egco for mass media engagements, fact-checking

• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority spokesperson Celine Pialago for public affairs and information as well as youth concerns

• Atty. Marlon Bosantog for legal affairs and indigenous peoples’ concerns;

• Assistant spokesperson Gaye Florendo for public affairs and indigenous peoples’ concerns

National Security Adviser and NTF-Elcac Vice-Chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said that increasing the number of spokespersons to eight is seen to boost their system of information exchange and further push the task force’s stance on several issues.