National Task Force Supports Anti-Corruption Rally but Warns Against Insurgent Exploitation

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has expressed support for the planned anti-corruption demonstration on November 30, while simultaneously alerting the public to potential exploitation by communist insurgents. Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. emphasized that peaceful civic participation is essential for strengthening democratic institutions.\n\n"A vibrant and engaged citizenry is a sign of a living democracy," Torres stated in a formal announcement. The task force reaffirmed the public’s right to demand transparency and accountability in governance, ahead of the rally organized by various civic organizations.\n\nHowever, the agency issued a warning about the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed faction, the New People’s Army (NPA), and their allied groups, noting their historical pattern of infiltrating legitimate protests to promote their own agenda. Former rebels have provided testimony on how communist operatives have embedded themselves in mass movements to radicalize participants.\n\nThe task force called on security forces to maintain maximum tolerance and impartiality, ensuring the protection of demonstrators’ rights.\n\nAdditionally, Torres criticized the Makabayan bloc’s recent proposal to form a transitional council, labeling it an unconstitutional measure that exploits the momentum of anti-corruption activism. He argued that such efforts undermine democratic processes and could trigger instability.\n\n"This proposal abandons constitutional process and courts instability. It is an extra-legal gambit meant to exploit the momentum of citizen-led anti-corruption movements and inject a political project that bypasses our laws. Maneuvering such as this risks eroding public trust, undermines our democratic institutions, and creates the fertile conditions that peace spoilers can exploit," Torres explained.\n\nHe also referenced September’s protests, where youth and minors were allegedly leveraged to advance political objectives.\n"But vigilance is also necessary. We do not want a repeat of what we witnessed during the September 21 demonstrations, where youth, including minors, were used to push a political narrative. Vulnerable sectors must be shielded from being exploited as pawns and recruited to serve the agenda of terrorist or extremist groups," he stressed.\n\nThe NTF-ELCAC urged government bodies, civil society organizations, and citizens to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming rally, ensuring it remains focused on genuine reform rather than efforts to destabilize the country.