Nilinaw ng pangulo ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) na si Bishop Pablo Virgilio David nitong Biyernes, Setyembre 1, na isa lamang sa kanilang mga komisyon ang naging miyembro ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) at hindi ang buong CBCP.

Sinabi ito ni David matapos ilahad ni NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto Torres nitong Huwebes, Agosto 31, na isa ang CBCP sa mga bagong miyembro ng NTF-ELCAC.

MAKI-BALITA: CBCP, miyembro na rin ng NTF-ELCAC

Sa inilabas na clarificatory statement ng CBCP, ipinaliwanag ni David na isang malaking “network” ang CBCP, at mayroon daw itong 31 mga komisyon, komite, at opisina na kasangkot sa iba't ibang “ministries, areas of pastoral work and social advocacies.”

Isa na umano sa nasabing mga komisyon ang ‘Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs,’ kung saan si Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista ang tumatayong chairman at si Fr Jerome Secillano naman bilang executive secretary rito.

“[The Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs] has the specific task of engaging government on many levels of dialogue over important issues. On the barangay level this Commission encourages our parishes, for instance, to engage barangay officials in a dialogue through the UBAS (Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan),” ani David.

“The said Commission clarifies that they are engaging with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) precisely to address some Church issues vis-a-vis government, including the issue about the red tagging of some cause-oriented groups and Church organizations by the said body,” dagdag pa niya.

Sinabi rin ng pangulo ng CBCP na ang kanilang Episcopal Commission of Public Affairs lamang ang nagsilbing kinatawan ng pribadong sektor sa NTF-ELCAC.

“It’s not exactly CBCP as a conference but the Episcopal Commission of Public Affairs that is there as a private sector representative. As such, this Commission has access to the NTF-ELCAC ExeCom and more opportunity to express the Church’s specific concerns, since its mandate is to act as a liaison of the CBCP to the public and private sectors and to advance some of the social concerns and issues of the Church,” paliwanag ni David.

“The said Commission also has the intention of providing moral-ethical approaches to dealing with the problem of insurgency,” dagdag pa niya.

Ayon pa kay David, nilalayon daw nilang pag-usapan ang naturang usapin at bumuo ng konkretong resolusyon sa nalalapit na pagpupulong ng Permanent Council ng CBCP.

“Can this Commission engage the said government body in a dialogue without having to join its ExeCom as member — i.e. as private sector representative? We hope to come up with some resolutions on this matter soon,” saad ni David.