MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) have strengthened cooperation on documenting and addressing alleged human rights violations attributed to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), including “spy-tagging” and the killing of civilians.

The engagement, led by NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Danilo G. Pamonag, focused on cases involving civilians allegedly targeted by communist armed groups.

The NTF-ELCAC National Secretariat presented to the UN delegation 71 documented cases of alleged arbitrary killings and other human rights violations attributed to the CPP-NPA from January 2025 to the present.

The presentation highlighted incidents in Mindoro and Negros Island, particularly the alleged practice of “spy-tagging,” in which civilians are branded as government informants or collaborators and subsequently targeted.

According to the task force, farmers, community members and other civilians were allegedly accused of being government “spies” or collaborators before being attacked and killed by communist armed elements.

UN-OHCHR representative Signe Poulsen welcomed the documentation and said the findings would be brought before appropriate international human rights mechanisms.

Pamonag stressed that human rights protections should apply equally to victims regardless of whether alleged abuses are committed by state or non-state actors.

He called for stronger cooperation with international development partners in supporting peace-building, community development and the sustainable reintegration of former rebels into mainstream society.

Pamonag also urged the systematic documentation and submission of alleged CPP-NPA violations to appropriate United Nations and international human rights mechanisms.

He said international human rights organizations should give greater attention to alleged “spy-tagging,” summary executions and other violence against civilians, particularly in vulnerable and geographically isolated communities.

For the NTF-ELCAC, the engagement with the UN-OHCHR provides an opportunity to broaden discussions on human rights by ensuring that alleged abuses committed by all armed actors are documented, investigated and referred to appropriate mechanisms.

The task force said human rights protection and lasting peace are inseparable, emphasizing the need to protect conflict-affected communities not only from violence but also from intimidation, coercion and threats to their fundamental freedoms.

“Every Filipino, especially those in communities that have endured decades of armed conflict, deserves the protection of the law and the full measure of their human rights,” Pamonag said.

“There can be no selective application of human rights. Every victim deserves to be heard, every abuse deserves scrutiny, and every Filipino deserves to live without fear,” he added.