NTF-Elcac committed to protecting IP kids from Reds’ influence

NTF-Elcac logo. INQUIRER FILES MANILA, Philippines – A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) on Monday reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting Indigenous Peoples (IP) children from recruitment and influence of communist insurgents. NTF-Elcac executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. made the comment on the second anniversary of the landmark judgment rendered by the Tagum City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 2 on July 15, 2024 in the Talaingod case, which found former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, and 11 others for violating Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. The court sentenced the 13 individuals to up to six years in jail and ordered the payment of civil indemnity and moral damages to each of the affected minors. Article continues after this advertisement This after the group held a “solidarity mission” by fetching 29 Lumad children and teachers at their indigenous community school in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, without the parents’ consent. Torres described the ruling as one of the most significant legal victories in the protection of indigenous children and the rule of law. “While the convicted parties continue to avail themselves of the legal remedies afforded under our judicial system, the judgment stands as a landmark affirmation that justice is pursued through evidence, due process, and the faithful application of the law,” he said. READ: NPA ‘totally defeated’ in Negros – NTF-Elcac exec The NTF-Elcac executive officer also clarified that the anniversary is not a celebration of the conviction of personalities but a celebration of the triumph of justice. Article continues after this advertisement “It is a tribute to the courage of indigenous parents who sought justice through our courts and to the resilience of institutions that upheld the constitutional duty to protect children. It sends a clear message that the welfare of Filipino children can never be subordinated to political objectives or ideological agendas,” he said. Torres said the true beneficiaries of this legal victory are neither government institutions nor political organizations, but the children themselves. Article continues after this advertisement “Every Filipino child—whether indigenous or not—has the right to grow up in safety, to remain under the care and guidance of family, and to receive an education free from abuse, exploitation, coercion, or unlawful manipulation. These rights are guaranteed not by ideology, but by the Constitution and the laws of the Republic. The Talaingod case also serves as a lasting reminder that educational institutions carry a profound public trust,” he stressed. He also said the controversies surrounding the Salugpungan schools demonstrated the need for vigilance whenever credible allegations arise that children are exposed to unlawful conduct or exploitation. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. “The same principle applies to every learning institution in the country: schools and universities must remain places where knowledge, critical thinking, and democratic participation flourish peacefully—not places where students are unlawfully recruited, coerced, radicalized or encouraged toward violence,” he added. /jpv