Manila: The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is seeking greater international action against communist insurgents following a briefing to the United Nations (UN) on documented cases of civilian killings and a deadly 'spy-tagging' campaign. According to Philippines News Agency, the NTF-ELCAC's national secretariat presented to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR) the 71 documented cases of alleged arbitrary killings and other human rights violations attributed to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army since January 2025.
"The presentation emphasized the violent incidents in Mindoro and Negros Island, highlighting the deadly consequences of 'spy-tagging' - the practice of branding civilians as government informants or intelligence assets, often placing their lives at grave risk," it said. Led by NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Danilo Pamonag, the engagement placed the plight of civilians at the center of the discussions.
The report details how farmers, community members, and other civilians were allegedly accused of being 'spies' or government collaborators before being targeted and killed by communist armed elements. UN-OHCHR representative Signe Poulsen welcomed the documentation and vowed to bring the findings before appropriate international human rights mechanisms.
Pamonag said the engagement underscored the need for human rights protection to apply equally to all victims, regardless of whether the alleged perpetrator is a state or non-state actor. He pushed for stronger engagement with international development partners to support peace-building, community development, and the sustainable reintegration of former rebels into mainstream society.
Pamonag specifically urged international human rights organizations to focus on the spy-tagging, summary executions, and other forms of violence allegedly perpetrated against civilians by communist armed groups, particularly in vulnerable and geographically isolated communities.
