AT a press conference following the top-level meeting of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in Camp Aguinaldo last Friday, National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos announced to the media that the task force will recommend to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. the offering of amnesty to communist rebels.
"The task force strongly recommends the need for offering an amnesty to prevent the resurgence of the communist terrorist groups, especially in geographically- challenged, isolated, and disadvantaged areas,” the task force said in a statement.
Of course, as Secretary Carlos would later clarify, the declaration of amnesty and the possible revival of peace talks would depend on Marcos' decision.
About the peace talks, Carlos said, "That is the decision that the President of the republic will make. And if you will notice in the statement, our statement really is recommending to the President because it is the President who will make the ultimate decision in regard to the amnesty declaration."
The issues of amnesty and possible resumption of peace talks are not the only concerns now being tackled by the National Task Force.
There is also the so-called "red-tagging."
On the red-tagging issue, OIC Defense Secretary Jose Faustino Jr.'s explanation is exactly the same as Manila Times columnist Rigoberto Tiglao's.
Faustino denied that the NTF-ELCAC had engaged in "red-tagging," saying that it was never a policy. He said the information on personalities linked to the insurgency came from the communist group.
And this column may add, from Joma Sison himself.This was first mentioned by Tiglao when he wrote that Sison red-tagged his cabal when he listed their organizations as members of his umbrella group, International League of Peoples Struggle.
“Ito po ay hindi nanggaling sa amin, ito ay nanggaling sa kabilang grupo (It did not come from us, it came from the other group),” Faustino said.
So, there.