ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said on Thursday, October 4, that they have received reports from concerned parents about the alleged “brainwashing” of their children in schools “that tend to draw them into activism and radicalism.”
“We have reports of concerned parents communicating to us their worries about the brainwashing activities that their children were subjected to like film showing, video teleconferencing with a terrorist leader like Jose Ma. Sison and martial law reenactments during break time of high school students, etc,” Arevalo said in a statement.
“As a good number of us in the AFP are parents ourselves, we join the multitude of parents wary of these creeping indoctrination of their children that tend to draw them into activism and radicalism,” he added.
He did not name the parents who made the reports nor did he specify the number of parents who allegedly complained.
Arevalo made the statement after youth groups and school officials slammed the military for tagging some colleges and universities in Metro Manila as being used by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) as recruitment venues.
Officials of the following institutions denied the military's allegation: University of Santo Tomas (UST), De La Salle University (DLSU), University of the Philippines (UP), Emilio Aguinaldo College and the University of Makati (UMak).
Arevalo said the list of schools that have allegedly been penetrated by the communists is under continuing validation.
He said they did not brand these schools as communists but merely wanted to raise awareness about the recruitment activities of the NPA.
“Having said that, we are firm in our position that some of the schools in that list have been, and widely known to have been used, as fora for communist recruitment. Some of the other schools in the list are being targeted. The students are agitated initially towards activism; mobilize them as militants, and finally recruit them as regular NPA cadres and leaders to fill up the dwindling number of political cadres,” he said.
“Beware of the wolves in sheep’s clothing. This we caution schools administration and parents about some members of the NPA infiltrating the schools,” he added.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said they were willing to help by educating the students on what is really happening in the country.
”It's part of education and to know the whole picture kasi this is very dangerous kasi alam naman natin na ‘yung mga school and the teachers are considered our second parents, the schools our second homes. Kung minsan kung ano ang maituro sa mga estudyante lalo na ‘yung mga bata na mura ang isipan ng mga yan napakadaling mag impluwensyahan,” he said.
“Probably kung meron silang mga doubts especially mga students. Kung meron silang kailangan matutunan, questions or doubts sa kanilang pag-iisip pwede natin siguro natin sila mabigyan ng liwanag kung ano talaga ang dapat matutunan ng isang estudyante at para madevelop na rin ‘yung sense of nationalism at love of country,” he added.
He warned that the police may arrest faculty members who instigate and give the students false information and knowledge. (SunStar Philippines)