The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has welcomed the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) as a private sector representative in the task force’s executive committee.
This development was announced during the NTF-ELCAC’s 6th Executive Committee meeting, presided over by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
In a press briefing, Executive Director Ernesto C. Torres Jr. highlighted that COCOPEA’s inclusion will significantly broaden the government’s information, awareness, and peace-building efforts, particularly concerning the recruitment activities and grooming tactics of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).
In its statement last week, COCOPEA said that “[it] is in solidarity with the government, particularly the NTF-ELCAC, in its ongoing peace efforts through the National Action Plan on Unity, Peace, and Development.” It is worth noting that COCOPEA was one of the various groups invited to the task force’s dialogue with civil society organizations (CSOs) on October 16.
COCOPEA’s involvement will also allow private educational institutions to work closely with the government in providing educational opportunities to communities in conflict-affected areas.
According to NTF-ELCAC, the said involvement will bolster the task force’s to reduce educational gaps to address longstanding issues that have been exploited by the red groups to recruit children and youth in the countryside and urban areas.
