THE SAVE Our School Network on Friday called for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict because of its non-stop red-tagging.

The call was made after the task force bared its plan to file new charges against the seven Lumad teachers and volunteers who were recently released from detention.

In a statement, SOS said that NFT-ELCAC continues to persecute and formulate lies against the ‘Bakwit School 7’.

“While indigenous peoples and human rights activists across the country celebrated the release of the seven, it seems Lorraine Badoy and the NTF-ELCAC find happiness in their unjust suffering, as they considered filing a motion of reconsideration. Such motion only continues their harassment of the people,” the group said.

“Badoy and the NTF-ELCAC’s insistence that the students were kidnapped by Lumad leaders and teachers only show that they only believe in their own lies,” it added.

The network lamented that the task force “destroyed the students’ rights to education” by red-tagging and militarizing their communities.

“They will stop at nothing to silence the Lumad who are fighting for their ancestral domain against state and corporate intervention. They don’t deserve a single peso from us taxpayers already burdened by the pandemic. They don’t deserve to operate amidst our struggles,” SOS said.

NFT-ELCAC earlier said that new charges will be filed against the ‘Bakwit School 7’ for violating the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997.

The Davao del Norte provincial prosecutor earlier dismissed the illegal detention, kidnapping and child abuse charges filed against the seven — Chad Booc, Segundo Lagatos Melong, Benito Bay-ao, Moddie Mansimoy-at, Esmelito Oribawan, Roshelle Mae Porcadilla and Jomar Benag.

However, the task force said that it will file new charges against the seven because the prosecutor’s resolution found that the elements of the crimes were committed.

“This is only the first round, and we’re sure to win this, the resolution said there were crimes committed and it’s just a question of jurisdiction. That’s a very big win for us,” Lorraine Badoy, spokesperson of the NTF-ELCAC, said.