THE NATIONAL Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said academic venues were important to address concerns about “extremist recruitment targeting youth,” the controversial government agency said in a statement on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The statement came after backlash from activist groups over its initial participation in the research colloquium on “terror grooming,” which was later removed by organizers.
“The inclusion of scholarly research and firsthand accounts of radicalization processes provides valuable perspective for safeguarding students,” NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. said in the statement, as he clarified that the agency was not formally involved in the UST activity.
The task force said attempts to “discredit the forum” and “restrict academic discourse” were against the “claims of supporting democracy and dissent.”
“Intimidation of institutions hosting diverse viewpoints undermines the intellectual pluralism that universities exist to protect,” the statement read.
It urged stakeholders to “engage substantively,” adding that universities should remain spaces “where challenging truths are examined through reason – not silenced by ideological gatekeeping.”
In a Facebook post on Nov. 5, Kabataan Partylist said “terror-grooming” is a new term meant to discredit the freedom of the youth to join progressive organizations.
“Pinapakalat nila ang ideya na walang sariling utak at kapasyahan ang kabataan na piniling sumali sa kritikal na mga grupo sa bulok na sistema,” the statement read.
NTF-ELCAC critics have long demanded its abolition, accusing it of red-tagging progressives, such as students, academics, and journalists.
Kabataan also called on the school administration to ensure that activities inside the University are consulted with the student body.
“Mariing hinahamon ng Kabataan Partylist ang administrasyon ng UST na tuluyang wakasan ang anumang pakikipag-ugnayan sa National Security Council (NSC) at NTF-ELCAC,” the statement read.
The Nov. 6 forum will be co-organized by the National Security Council and the Faculty of Arts and Letters.
The Research Center for Social Sciences and Education was initially among the organizers of the event, but later withdrew, as they were not informed about the NTF-ELCAC’s involvement. It also said other conditions such as changes to the event title and speaker lineup were not met.
Political Science Chair Dennis Coronacion had defended the department’s decision to engage with the National Security Council and other state entities in the upcoming academic colloquium, emphasizing that the University must remain a venue for open discourse.
The forum, set on Nov. 6, is titled “Preventing Terror Grooming: The Philippine Experience,” which will tackle the topics of “terror grooming,” “recruitment practices,” and the experiences of former rebels.
On Feb. 2, the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines, the largest network of private schools in the country, withdrew from membership with NTF-ELCAC, citing the need to “preserve academic freedom.”
