IMEE: UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR IRENE KHAN, A THREATENING FOREIGN MEDDLER

Senator Imee Marcos scoffed at the "supremely presumptuous" call of UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to dismantle the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

"After a mere 10 days in the Philippines, during which she never visited the NTF barangays but only met a chosen few witnesses, she has the knowledge and the right to tell the Philippine government what to do?" Marcos asked.

"Not only are these foreigners meddlesome and out of their depth, she has also threatened that the Philippines' "ambitious" plan to lead the UN Commission on the Status of Women and obtain a seat on the UN Security Council depends on conforming with her "findings." Why exactly did we invite her anyway?" the senator added.

However, Marcos also said Khan's call was "hardly surprising, given her long-standing Amnesty International bias."

The senator believes that dismantling the NTF-ELCAC would be "counter-productive, even dangerous."

"Thousands of rebels have peacefully returned to the fold of the law. The government has practically won against the communist insurgency, with only about 1,800 rebels left, according to our military and police," the senator explained.

"It is important that we maintain the NTF-ELCAC's presence and strengthen its mandate to continue the peaceful rehabilitation of rebel returnees," Marcos asserted.

IMEE: UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR IRENE KHAN, BANYAGANG MAPAGBANTANG PAKIALAMERA

TINAWAG na pakialamera ni Senador Imee Marcos si UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan sa nagmamagaling nitong panawagan na buwagin na ang National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

"Sampung araw lang sa Pilipinas si Khan at iilan lang ang nakausap na pinaborang mga witness, tapos may alam na sya at karapatan na pagsabihan ang gobyerno sa mga dapat gawin? Ni hindi nga niya napuntahan ang mga barangay kung saan nag-ooperate ang NTF at ang sabi sa akin ay ngayon lang yan nakaapak ng Pilipinas", ani Marcos.

Hindi lang pakilamera at mababaw ang pag-unawa ng mga banyagang ito sa isyu; nagbanta pa siya na ang "ambisyosong" plano ng Pilipinas na mamuno sa UN Commission on the Status of Women at makakuha ng puwesto sa UN Security Council ay nakasalalay sa pagsunod sa kanyang "mga natuklasan

Gayunpaman, sinabi pa ni Marcos na ang panawagan ni Khan ay "hindi nakakasurpresa, dahil sa matagal niyang pagkiling sa Amnesty International.

Naniniwala din ang senador na kontra-produktibo at mas mapanganib kapag binuwag ang NTF-ELCAC.

"Libo-libong rebelde ang mapayapang nagbalik-loob sa gobyerno. Halos tagumpay nang nagwagi ang gobyerno sa communist insurgency, na may 1,800 na lang na rebeldeng natitira, ayon sa ating military at mga pulis," paliwanag ng senador.

Mahalagang panatilihin natin ang presensya ng NTF-ELCAC at palakasin ang mandato nito na ipagpatuloy ang mapayapang pagbabalik-loob sa gobyerno at makataong rehabilitasyon ng mga rebel returnees," giit ni Marcos.