The Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSED) has withdrawn as co-organizer of a colloquium on “terror grooming” and “recruitment” after learning of the participation of the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
In a statement sent to the Varsitarian, the RCSSED said the center pulled out of the collaboration on Monday after other organizers failed to meet its conditions for participation.
“First, we were not informed about NTF-ELCAC’s involvement, and they also refused other conditions like changing the program direction of the forum including its title, and having a say on the line-up of their speakers,” it said.
“RCSSED decided to pull out to ensure the safety of the academic community, and [due to] possible conflicts that may arise from such a forum,” it added.
The forum, titled “Preventing Terror Grooming: The Philippine Experience,” is scheduled for Nov. 6 and was originally listed as a joint activity of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, RCSSED, and the state’s National Security Council, the Varsitarian has learned.
The event aims to “examine state counterinsurgency policies from an academic standpoint” and will feature topics on “terror grooming,” “recruitment practices,” and the experiences of former rebels.
However, the inclusion of NTF-ELCAC drew backlash from student-activist groups, particularly the UST chapters of Kabataan Partylist and Anakbayan, who said the task force’s involvement was alarming given its history of red-tagging and harassment of activists.
“Ang mga ‘forum’ nila, kunwari’y educational, pero sa totoo’y propaganda. One-sided narratives, fear-mongering, at baseless accusations ang laman. Layon nitong patahimikin ang kabataan, lalo na ang mga kritikal na Tomasino, sa pamamagitan ng psychological warfare disguised as ‘awareness.’ Wala itong lugar sa isang unibersidad na dapat ay tahanan ng malayang pag-iisip at makabayang paninindigan,” Kabataan Partylist-UST said in a statement on Oct. 31.
UST Political Science Forum President Nomer Jatico, one of the event organizers, clarified that NTF-ELCAC’s role would be “minimal” and limited to a policy discussion.
“The Faculty of Arts and Letters officials have not met nor engaged with any of the NTF-ELCAC representatives in organizing this colloquium,” Jatico said.
As of posting time, AB officials have yet to respond to the Varsitarian’s requests for comment.
The NTF-ELCAC, formed in 2018 under Executive Order No. 70, has been the subject of criticism over the red-tagging of activists, journalists, and academics, prompting calls for its abolition or reform.
