The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is now a member of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
According to President Bishop Pablo David, CBCP has joined NTF-ELCAC “to address some Church issues” in relation to the government, such as the red-tagging of cause-oriented groups and church organizations.
David also clarified that CBCP is a “big network,” with 31 commissions, committees and offices, and that the Episcopal Commission of Public Affairs is the one that joined.
“It’s not exactly CBCP as a conference but the Episcopal Commission of Public Affairs that is there as a private sector representative,” said David.
Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista will be CBCP’s representative, while his alternate is Fr. Jerome Secillano of the Episcopal Commission of Public Affairs.
According to David, they now have the opportunity to express the Church’s concerns, since NTF-ELCAC’s mandate is to act as a liaison to the conference and “to advance some of the social concerns and issues of the Church.”
“The said committee also has the intention of providing moral-ethical approaches to dealing with the problem of insurgency,” explained David.
NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto Torres said that having two private representatives as member agencies is “necessary,” and that CBCP accepted the offer “warmly.”
“So with them on our side, it would be a lot easier for us to disseminate, to cascade the information, the good news of the government to those living in far flung areas,” he said.
CBCP joins NTF-ELCAC ‘to address Church issues’
Source: News Paper Radio
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