THE NATIONAL Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has rejected ongoing efforts to revoke the child abuse conviction of former lawmaker Satur Ocampo, former ACT Teachers Partylist representative France Castro, and 11 others, calling the moves a “coordinated campaign” to escape legal accountability.
In a statement, Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC executive director, said they support the Ata-Manobo Tribal Council of Elders and the Indigenous Political Structure of Talaingod, which have condemned the actions of the accused.
The statement follows a July 2024 ruling by the Tagum City Regional Trial Court that found Ocampo, Castro, and their co-defendants guilty of child abuse stemming from a November 2018 incident in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
Supporters of the accused have since petitioned to overturn the conviction, framing the court’s decision as “lawfare” and a “criminalization of care.”
‘Exploitation, plain and simple’
The NTF-ELCAC strongly disputed the defense’s narrative that the 2018 incident was a humanitarian “rescue mission” of IP students.
According to the task force, the defendants transported minors in the middle of the night through treacherous terrain and heavy rains without securing parental consent or informing ancestral tribal leaders.
“The defendants’ actions… are antithetical to genuine care,” the statement read. “This was exploitation, plain and simple.”
The task force raised critical questions regarding the group’s motives, challenging why established indigenous governance structures were bypassed, and why the children were taken to the politically charged UCCP Haran evacuation center in Davao City instead of being turned over to official state welfare agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or the Department of Education (DepEd).
The Salugpungan School Controversy
Central to the state’s argument is the nature of the Salugpungan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center schools, where the children were enrolled.
The NTF-ELCAC reiterated testimonies from former rebels, teachers, and students given during Senate inquiries, alleging that these alternative learning centers were operated by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as recruitment and indoctrination pipelines.
The task force further claimed that international investigations by the United Nations since 2023 have recognized the vulnerability of isolated indigenous youth to child recruitment, urging governments to prosecute those responsible.
“Overturning the conviction of Ocampo, Castro, and their cohorts would not only ignore these grave findings but also embolden efforts to resurrect these dangerous pipelines under a false banner of legitimacy,” Torres warned.
Legitimate Educational Alternatives
The NTF-ELCAC emphasized that the local Ata-Manobo elders are fiercely resisting the reopening of these alternative schools to prevent a return of armed conflict in their ancestral domain.
In place of the shuttered institutions, the government highlighted its commitment to delivering accredited, state-run education to the region, citing the recent completion of a legitimate school in Sitio Nalubas, Barangay Palma Gil.
The task force called on the public and human rights advocates to stand with the Talaingod community and reject attempts to undermine the judiciary’s verdict.
“Stand firm for accountability, stand with Talaingod, and stand for the future of our indigenous youth,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Castro and Ocampo have yet to respond regarding the matter.
