Philippines counter insurgency force 'operating with impunity', says UN expert November 14, 2023 at 11:30PM

A United Nations expert has called on the Philippines to disband its anti-communist task force, citing concerns over human rights abuses. UN Special Rapporteur Ian Fry urged for an independent investigation into the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which has been accused of "red-tagging" and arbitrary arrests. The task force, chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte, denies these allegations. Fry stated that the task force has exceeded its original mandate and should be replaced with a more effective approach to counterterrorism.