MANILA, Philippines — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday expressed full support for the statement of the Ata-Manobo Tribal Council of Elders and the Indigenous Political Structure of Talaingod, rejecting claims that the November 2018 Talaingod incident was a “rescue.”

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr. said the statement “cuts through the false narrative,” stressing that the actions of former lawmaker Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, and others were a “reckless, ideologically-driven operation that endangered vulnerable children and violated the sacred authority of Talaingod’s ancestral leaders.”

Torres defended the July 2024 ruling of the Tagum Regional Trial Court convicting those involved in the incident, describing it not as a “criminalization of care,” but a necessary affirmation that “you cannot protect children by deliberately exposing them to peril.”

“The defendants’ actions – spiriting away minors in darkness, through heavy rains and treacherous terrain, without parental consent or even informing their families and tribal elders – are antithetical to genuine care. This was exploitation, plain and simple,” Torres said.

He also questioned the legitimacy of what he called a “coordinated campaign” to discredit the court’s decision by framing it as persecution or “lawfare,” asking:

• Who authorized their intervention?
• Why deliberately bypass the established indigenous governance structures?
• Why transport the children to the politically charged UCCP Haran evacuation center instead of official agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd) or the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)?

Torres reiterated previous testimonies from former rebels, who claimed in Senate hearings and public forums that Salugpungan schools were operated by the CPP-NPA-NDF as recruitment centers that promoted anti-government sentiment and radicalization among Lumad youth.

He also cited UN reports since 2023 recognizing the vulnerability of children in isolated indigenous communities to recruitment and grooming. These reports, he said, urge governments to prosecute those responsible.

“Overturning the conviction of Ocampo, Castro, and their cohorts would not only ignore these grave findings but also embolden efforts to resurrect these dangerous pipelines under a false banner of legitimacy,” Torres said.

He warned against the push to reopen such schools, which he said previously served as “gateways to the armed underground,” stressing that the government is committed to providing accredited and inclusive education in Talaingod, such as the newly completed school in Sitio Nalubas, Barangay Palma Gil.

“We call upon all peace-loving Filipinos and genuine human rights advocates to stand with the Ata-Manobo Tribal Council,” Torres said. “Defend the hard-won progress our Lumad communities in Mindanao are achieving. Reject attempts to undermine justice and endanger our children. Stand firm for accountability, stand with Talaingod, and stand for the future of our indigenous youth.”