The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) has formally withdrawn from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), citing the need to uphold academic freedom.

In a statement issued on Feb. 2, COCOPEA announced that after consulting its members, it decided to step away from formal involvement while continuing dialogues on education-related matters. 

“COCOPEA’s withdrawal from the task force is of utmost significance in preserving the essentiality of academic freedom,” the group said.

COCOPEA is an umbrella organization representing private educational institutions across the country. It comprises five major associations: the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ACSCU), the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), the Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAPSCU), and the Technical-Vocational Schools Association of the Philippines (TVSA). On Feb. 3, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) welcomed the decision, calling NTF-ELCAC a “dangerous institution.” 

SCMP National Chairperson Kej Andres credited student-led initiatives in private schools for pushing COCOPEA to withdraw. 

“This is an initial step in keeping this sinful institution outside schools,” he said, reiterating calls for NTF-ELCAC’s abolition.

SCMP has long argued that schools should be free from military interference and cited alleged human rights violations by NTF-ELCAC, including the 2023 abduction of Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, the killing of minors JP Osabel and Redjan Montealegre in Masbate, and the harassment of student activists. 

The task force has also been accused of red-tagging and militarizing educational spaces.

COCOPEA’s initial decision to join NTF-ELCAC in 2024 drew strong backlash from student groups, who viewed it as a threat to academic freedom. 

A manifesto signed by 35 student organizations condemned COCOPEA’s involvement, warning that the task force was being used to suppress critical thinking in private schools.

Following COCOPEA’s withdrawal, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said the task force respects the decision but suggested that collaboration may still continue. 

Andres, however, cautioned against this possibility. “There must be no collaboration between NTF-ELCAC and COCOPEA. Schools should focus on transparency, academic freedom, and supporting peace education,” he said.

SCMP called on other civil society groups to sever ties with NTF-ELCAC. “This institution has no place in a society seeking just and lasting peace,” Andres said.