EMBRACING THE UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR’S VISIT: A CALL FOR CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT AND HARMONY

January 27, 2024 Community Billboard

The Samahan ng Mamamayang Nagkakaisa Kontra Terorismo views the visit of UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan
to the Philippines from January 22 to February 02 with a positive perspective, in stark contrast to the viewpoints of certain leftleaning and anti-government organizations. Under Secretary Ernesto Torres Jr of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), along with the entire NTFELCAC, sees this visit as an
opportunity for peaceful dialogue and collaboration. They aim to enhance governmental efforts in safeguarding and advancing human rights.

This stands in contrast to the approach of other groups, who intend to spotlight allegations of abuse, violence,
harassment, and human rights violations. Rather than focusing on the negatives, they seek to discourage the UN
Special Rapporteur by overlooking the commendable government initiatives dedicated to upholding the rights and welfare of the people. Their emphasis lies on the issues at hand rather than contributing to solutions for counteracting terrorism and violent extremism.

We firmly reject the distortions, deceit, misinformation, and misunderstandings propagated by the CPP-NDF-NPA and various left-leaning groups regarding the UN Special Rapporteur’s visit. We urge everyone to embrace the positive aspects of the situation and support the NTF-ELCAC in its pursuit of lasting peace, steering away from protest actions and factfinding missions that aim to criticize the government and tarnish the President’s image.