“Meron bang parents na gustong maging NPA ang anak niya? [Eh] ‘yong NPA nga mismo, ayaw ngang gawing NPA ang anak nya. Diba? ‘Yong mga makakaliwa dyan, ‘yong mga nasa partylist, ang anak nila nandoon sa abroad nag-aaral. Diba? Pero ‘yong mga estudyante na mga mahihirap, nirerecruit para lumaban sa gobyerno. pero ang mga anak nila nasa La Salle, nasa abroad, pinapag-aral. [Ay] napaka-hipokrito ng mga tao na ito.”
This was the remark of Senator Bato dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, during the continuation of inquiry on the schemes of terrorist groups in radicalization and recruitment of students in educational institutions.
During the Senate hearing on Tuesday, dela Rosa pushed further inquiry and discussion regarding modus operandi of terrorist groups in recruiting students inside the school institution through diguising as legitimate and genuine student organizations.
“We press on to unmask their modus operandi in exploiting student rights and welfare, and how they use, as a shield, the academic freedom to radicalize and recruit students and teachers,” he stressed.
Dela Rosa noted the importance of understanding these situations to know what and which policies should be enhanced and enforced further in order to prevent and protect students from said recruitment and radicalization.
During the hearing, the Philippine National Police Directorate for Operations presented data on the number of militant students recruited from 2014 to present, reaching 168 in total.
From this data, 33 died during military and police operations, 42 were arrested, while 93 surrendered.
Authorities also presented 168 school institutions with alleged recruitment activities, 11 elementary schools, 34 highschool, and 123 college/university.
“Based on the results on the custodial briefing conducted on the arrested personalities and personal interview[s] of all those who surrendered, it was founded that recruitment in school is happening widey, the recruits passed through certain school-based student/youth organizations, and lastly, communist insurgency destroyed the lives and future of many of our youth,” PCol. Randy Arceo, acting Executive Officer of Directorate for Operations-Philippine National Police disclosed.
Dela rosa also urged the Commission on Higher Education to act upon reports that teachers themselves are behind radicalization and recruitments of students to be part of terrorist groups.
“How about measures mandating school administrators to initiate through administrative investigations on allegations against teachers–itong mga teachers mismo ang…sinasadlak [ang kanilang mga estudyante] sa kasamaan? Sila pa ang nagtulak sa kanilang mga estudyante para maging rebelde. So dapat ma-identify natin itong mga teachers na ito para makasuhan natin,” he stressed.
Following this, the senator also urged other lawmakers, authorities, and other stake holders to work together in addressing and to finally cut these recruitments on students.
“Sana, magtutulungan tayo. Hindi ito kakayanin ng isang chairman lang ng komite–isang senador lang, hindi ito kakayanin. [Magtulungan] tayong lahat, dahil anak naman natin ang mabibiktima nito, mga apo natin ang mabibiktima. Kaya dapat magkakaisa tayo dito para hindi na…kawawa ang mga bata,” Dela Rosa emphasized.