Imee shuns call to abolish NTF-Elcac

SEN. Maria Josefa Imelda “Imee” Marcos has rejected the call of United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to dismantle the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

In a statement on Sunday, Marcos described Khan as a “threatening foreign meddler” and her call as “supremely presumptuous.”

Khan was in the Philippines for 10 days to examine the state of rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the country. She ended her mission on February 2.

“After a mere 10 days in the Philippines, during which she never visited the NTF barangay (villages) but only met a chosen few witnesses, she has the knowledge and the right to tell the Philippine government what to do?” Marcos said.

“Not only are these foreigners meddlesome and out of their depth, she has also threatened that the Philippines’ ambitious plan to lead the UN Commission on the Status of Women and obtain a seat on the UN Security Council depends on conforming with her findings. Why exactly did we invite her anyway?” she said.

The senator said Khan’s call was “hardly surprising, given her long-standing Amnesty International bias.” She believes dismantling the NTF-Elcac would be “counterproductive, even dangerous.”

“Thousands of rebels have peacefully returned to the fold of the law. The government has practically won against the communist insurgency, with only about 1,800 rebels left, according to our military and police,” she said.

Marcos added, “It is important that we maintain the NTF-Elcac’s presence and strengthen its mandate to continue the peaceful rehabilitation of rebel returnees.”

Khan met with Commission on Human Rights (CHR) officials on January 30 to

discuss freedom of opinion and expression issues in the Philippines.

She said she needed information on the Filipinos’ access to digital communications and how these affect various sectors, including the marginalized.

In a statement, the CHR said it is expected that “opportunities and challenges pertaining to the Philippines’ freedom of opinion and expression will be identified” during Khan’s visit.

These will then “be utilized to craft recommendations that address gaps based on her observations.”

Khan’s findings will be part of her report, which will be presented during the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025.

Country visits of UN special rapporteurs are part of the special procedures established by the world organization.

Their mandate is to report and advise on a range of human rights concerns from a thematic or country-specific point of view on behalf of the Human Rights Council.

The CHR is one of the government institutions visited by Khan to assess the current status of the Philippines’ compliance with its human rights obligations, particularly within the context of freedom of opinion and expression.

Representatives from civil society organizations and private companies also engaged with Khan as arranged by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, alongside field visits in Baguio and Cebu.