February 03, 2025 The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) respects the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) in its decision to withdraw from the Executive Committee, recognizing that such a move is an internal matter.
While COCOPEA has opted to step back from formal membership, we acknowledge and appreciate their reaffirmed commitment to NTF-ELCAC’s mission of unity, peace, security, and socioeconomic development. As COCOPEA itself stated in its statement:
"While COCOPEA respectfully withdraws membership from NTF-ELCAC, it remains one with NTF-ELCAC's mission to achieve unity, peace, security, and socioeconomic development. COCOPEA will continue to represent the private education sector in dialogues with the task force on matters that align with its goals and objectives."
This distinction is crucial—withdrawal from the Execom is one thing, but continued collaboration is another. The task force values its engagement with the private education sector, especially in advancing academic freedom, countering radicalization, and fostering an environment where education remains a pillar of peace and national development.
NTF-ELCAC remains firm in its campaign against violent extremism and terrorist-grooming, particularly the deceptive recruitment of young students into armed struggle. We believe that schools should be centers of learning, free from exploitation by radical and extremist elements who prey on the idealism of youth to push their destructive agendas.
Moving forward, we will continue close engagements with COCOPEA and all educational institutions that share our vision of safe, secure, and development-oriented learning spaces for all Filipino students.
USEC ERNESTO C. TORRES JR.
Executive Director
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