THE Philippine National Police (PNP) reminded parents to always monitor the extra-curricular activities of their students, particularly those not sanctioned or approved by school authorities, to avoid their children from being recruited by communist rebels.
“As we usher the summer season with the culmination of the previous school year, I am taking the urgency of raising awareness among parents and school administrators to be mindful of students' extra-curricular activities that are not sanctioned or approved by school authorities such as off-campus social immersion programs, teach-ins, symposia, social field work and community organization in areas of operation of armed units of the local communist movement,” PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said.
“The communist terrorist movement, through its front organizations, exploits such activities to recruit fighters from among the ranks of unsuspecting students,” he added.
Albayalde made the statement following the arrest of Aljon Tamuyang Cardenas, 18, a student of the state-run University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar, who took part in the attack staged by at least 50 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels Thursday morning, March 28, at the Victoria Municipal Police Station in Victoria, Northern Samar.
Three communist rebels were killed, while two policemen were wounded in the attack.
Albayalde said there had been persistent reports of sighting and even active participation of some university students in some insurgent activities, including armed engagements with government security forces.
He said the PNP recognizes academic freedom to promote critical thinking but the moment the militant students take up arms to topple the government, they become enemies of the state and subject to appropriate law enforcement response.
“God forbid but we do not want these unwary students to be along the line of fire when our maneuver forces launch a summer offensive in the CPP-NPA heartland in the coming weeks,” Albayalde said. (SunStar Philippines)