NTF-ELCAC Urges Thoughtful Deliberation on Key Security Bills in Congress

July 5, 2025

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has called for balanced and vigilant discourse on legislative proposals currently pending in the 20th Congress, particularly those with far-reaching implications on national security and democratic integrity.

In a statement issued over the weekend, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. expressed concern over House Bill 1272 filed by the Makabayan bloc, which proposes to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. He also welcomed a contrasting proposal by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa that seeks to amend the Partylist System Act to disqualify groups allegedly linked to designated terrorist organizations.

“These two proposals raise an essential question: how do we protect democracy without allowing it to be exploited by those who reject its very foundations?” Torres said.

“Democracy must be defended, not manipulated by those who would use its freedoms to undermine public safety and national unity.”

Makabayan lawmakers argue that the Anti-Terror Law has been used to suppress dissent, but Torres noted that no convictions have been made under the law targeting peaceful protest or legitimate criticism.

“This law isn’t about silencing activists. It’s about preventing bombings, assassinations, and the radicalization of children. It’s about protecting Lumad youth from being groomed into foot soldiers and ensuring communities aren’t turned into logistic corridors for insurgents,” he said.

Torres emphasized that the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act, highlighting its built-in safeguards and relevance to today’s security challenges.

“It is a modern law, equipped for modern threats—not an instrument of repression,” he underscored.

The task force also conveyed support for Sen. dela Rosa’s proposed amendment to the Partylist System Act, noting longstanding testimonies by former rebels that some partylist groups in Congress have operated as legal fronts for the CPP-NPA-NDF.

“The partylist system was designed to amplify the voices of the marginalized—not to provide cover for those who aim to dismantle our democratic order,” Torres said.

NTF-ELCAC stressed that communities in conflict-affected areas remain most vulnerable not to laws protecting them, but to a system that fails to distinguish between legitimate advocacy and organized subversion.

“There is nothing democratic about tolerating duplicity in the name of representation. There is nothing oppressive about drawing the line between engagement and exploitation,” Torres added.

The task force reaffirmed its commitment to upholding civic space, safeguarding democratic institutions, and countering efforts to erode them through deception.

“We have seen the consequences of silence and complacency in the past. It is our responsibility to ensure that the laws of the land protect the people, not those who wish to harm them,” Torres concluded.

NTF-ELCAC MEDIA BUREAU

Ref: Dr. Joel M. Sy Egco, PhD, MPSA

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