6 new spokespersons join Parlade, Badoy in NTF-ELCAC

By Azer Parrocha / Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday designated six new spokespersons to help relay its stand on several issues.

Based on the list of spokespersons, the officials assigned come from the following agencies: Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Below are the six new spokespersons and their respective primary coverages:

*DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya - Local Government Affairs, Barangay Development Program, International Engagement;

*PHRCS Undersecretary Severo Catura - International Affairs, Peace Process, Human Rights Concerns;

*PCOO Undersecretary Jose Joel Sy Egco - Mass Media Engagements, Fact-Checker;

*DOTr Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago - NTF-ELCAC Public Affairs and Information, Youth Concerns;

*NCIP Caraga regional director lawyer Marlon Bosantog - Legal Affairs, Indigenous Peoples Concerns; and

*Gaye Florendo - Assistant Spokesperson on NTF-ELCAC Public Affairs and on Indigenous Peoples Concerns.

Earlier, AFP Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen Antonio Parlade Jr. and PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy have been designated as co-spokespersons of the task force.

Under the new list, Parlade will serve as spokesperson for Security Sector Operations while Badoy will handle Social Media Affairs, Sectoral Concerns.

NTF-ELCAC Vice Chair and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon emphasized the need to designate eight spokespersons due to the “multi-faceted, multi-layered” nature of the task force.

“Remember, the national task force is composed of all agencies of government and so we are just drawing the support and pool of talents from all the government agencies,” Esperon said in a press conference.

“[It is] so that not all the work goes to only two. They are with us not on full-time basis. They come from different agencies. They could not be with us for 7/24,” he added.

Some lawmakers sought to withdraw funding for the NTF-ELCAC following its alleged red-tagging of community pantry organizers.

However, the NTF-ELCAC has repeatedly denied the allegations. (With reports from Priam Nepomuceno-PNA)