Majority of Filipinos are opposed to any church ties with the government’s controversial anti-communist task force, an online survey showed.

The survey, done by Caritas Philippines, showed that 90 percent of respondents are against the church joining the so-called National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

The national Caritas said there is “fear” of the Church being “cop-opted and used to legitimize” the agency’s alleged human rights violations.

It said that respondents think that the church will have a stronger voice in dialoguing with the government outside the NTF-ELCAC by working in solidarity with the poor and other human rights groups.

“The Church should stay true to its mandate of standing up for the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, and the vulnerable,” the survey said.

The respondents said the church, particularly the bishops’ public affairs body, should “rethink” ties with the NTF-ELCAC.

They, however, encouraged the church to continue the dialogue with the communities and the government in its pursuit of establishing an “inclusive and sustainable peace”.

“The church should craft creative ways to “popularize” the call for synodality and Fratelli Tutti to reach a wider audience, especially children and the youth, using all social media accessible to them,” the survey added.

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