Manila, June 9 -- The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) scored the Makabayan bloc over what it described as the group's "deafening silence" on sexual assault allegations involving a leader of the Kabataan party-list.

In a statement Sunday night, NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said the bloc's failure to condemn the alleged rape of a former member of the party-list "exposes the deep hypocrisy and rot within their ranks."

He also accused the group of prioritizing its interests over the pursuit of truth, justice, and the safety of vulnerable members.

"For a bloc that screams murder over even the slightest perceived injustice, the silence over one of their own being accused...