Task force spokesman claims violations of Anti-Terror Law done inside UP

January 22, 2021

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)  claimed that violations of the Anti-Terror Law were being done inside the University of the Philippines (UP).

"The definition of academic freedom is very clear but (what) was not allowed is participating in underground operations, in terrorist activities, in preparation, in planning especially now that we have this Anti-Terror Law. We have to be really really careful because there are specific acts in that law which penalize... I think there is no issue there as long as your intent is good,"  Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, NTF ELCAC spokesman, said in a television interview on Friday.

Parlade said the alleged violations are '' preparing for the some activities in the underground, like the anniversaries of the NPA, like providing materials propaganda to destroy the government to bring down the government, like printing materials for making bombs. They are all happening in the campuses."

"They’re been doing that ever since and that is the complaint of our intel (intelligence) people... I just met with them last night. They say sir that is a very vey good move ," he added.

Parlade said because of the UP-DND accord the military were not able to file charges against individuals who violated the law because he also alleged "many" school officials were sympathetic to the communist movement.

"File cases with what? ... No we can't...  You have to go through the proper process. To do that you have to go through this accord. You have to go to the authorities (university officials) and what do you expect especially many of these authorities are actually sympathetic to this underground organization and by the way they been denying that there is recruitment in the schools," he said.

Parlade read a news feed of one of the UP officials who acknowledged that this activism has been happening ever since and this is normal. Robina Asido/DMS