THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to take definitive action following renewed allegations linking youth activist groups to the communist insurgency movement.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ordered the Comelec to respond to a petition filed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) questioning the legality of a provision in its anti-discrimination resolution on red-tagging.
In a statement, NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. called on the poll body to suspend the proclamation of the Kabataan party-list (KPL) and reopen long-standing disqualification proceedings against the Gabriela women’s party-list (GWP).
The call followed the confirmed death of Jhon Isidor Supelanas, a former spokesman of Kabataan in Cebu, who was reportedly killed in an armed encounter in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental last April.
“His story is not an isolated tragedy. It is part of a disturbing pattern where youth leaders—starting from legal organizing spaces end up as armed combatants of the NPA (New People’s Army),” Torres said.
The task force also cited documented evidence such as social media posts, public tributes, and sworn testimonies from former members, revealing a consistent pattern among past leaders of Gabriela and its allied groups.
Torres pointed out recent sexual assault allegations against the KPL leaders from 2023 to 2025, with at least 20 victims filing complaints.
“Kabataan’s response was a generic condemnation, carefully avoiding the fact that the abusers were from within their own ranks. This silence perpetuates a culture of impunity,” Torres noted.
“And while the task force values the party-list system as a means to amplify marginalized voices, it said that it “must never become a backdoor for political radicalization, or a shield for abuse,” he added.
“This is not suppression, but a safeguard. The bloody trail and the survivors’ testimonies compel one simple act: pause, investigate, and protect the public trust,” Torres said.
He also challenged the leaderships of KBL and Gabriela to categorically denounce the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and address exploitation within their ranks.
“If you truly serve the people, then begin by facing these hard truths. Show that your commitment to democracy includes accountability and transparency—not silence—when lives and rights are on the line,” Torres said.
Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said they will file a petition for an extension of the period to file their response to the SC directive.
In the copy of NTF-ELCAC’s petition for certiorari shared by Garcia to reporters, the task force urged the SC to issue a temporary restraining order on Comelec Resolution 11116 or the anti-discrimination guidelines for the 2025 elections prescribing “labelling” as an election offense.
Garcia said he has yet to read the entirety of the petition, but noted that they were given 10 days to comment.
However, he said they would ask for an extension as they have to prepare to defend themselves.
