Manila, June 23 -- While it acknowledges the final report of United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Tuesday urged the official to interview former communist rebels and supporters to get the other side of the story and have a better idea of the Philippines' communist insurgency problem.

NTF-ELCAC Executive Director, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., issued the statement days after Khan's 18-page report was made public, claiming that Philippine laws have been weaponized against rights and press freedom advocates.

"While we have yet to receive a copy of the final report, we nonetheless receive her observations wit...