PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde on Thursday, August 8, urged leftist groups to address concerned parents whose minor children went missing after allegedly being recruited by militant groups in their schools.
“Allegedly lumalabas no less than the parents have already talked at talagang medyo naging very emotional sila dahil ito ay mga anak nila, meron pa doon na only child at babae pa and you could just imagine puwede kang murahin ng anak mo right in front of so many people nang dahil na brainwash ka allegedly nitong sinasabi nilang Anakbayan. Ito yung sinasabi ko bakit hindi nila sagutin yung mga allegations o ‘yung sinasabi ng mga magulang,” Albayalde said.
(No less than the parents have already talked and they have become emotional. Imagine having an only child who would curse you in front of many people because she has been brainwashed by Anakbayan. Why don't they answer the allegations of these parents?)
“Bakit kami ang sinasabi nilang may sala rito? Hindi po kami, sagutin nila yung mga magulang, hindi yung sinasabi nila always in general pakana na naman ito ng gobyerno, pakana na naman ito ng AFP at PNP. Yun ang challenge natin sa kanila, sagutin nila at sabihin nila kung nasaan yung mga anak nitong mga magulang na umiiyak at nagdadalamhati,” he added.
(Why are they blaming us? We challenge them to address the parents who are suffering and tell them where their sons and daughters are.)
During a Senate inquiry on missing students on August 7, Albayalde witnessed how parents of missing students became emotional as they recounted how their children left home and joined the militant groups after being recruited in school.
The students had attended Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University in Metro Manila.
One of the parents at the Senate inquiry, Relissa Lucena, said her daughter Alicia has been missing since 2017.
"Ang anak ko walang alam sa mundo, first time pa lang siyang lumayo sa bahay namin, hindi pa siya ganun ka exposed. Pero nung first semester nakita ko na ‘yung changes. Matigas na siya. Nag-open siya sa akin, Anakbayan na daw siya at lider na siya,” Lucena said.
(My daughter was naive. It was her first time to leave home. But in her first semester in school, I noticed that she changed. She told me she was a leader of Anakbayan.)
"Sinasabihan ko siya na huwag ka diyan. Against ako sa ginagawa nila pero hindi naman sa pinaglalaban nila," she added.
(I told her to drop it, that I'm against what they were doing but I'm not against what they were fighting for.)
Alicia, however, issued a statement that belied her mother's allegations.
She said she was not missing nor was she kidnapped. She said she left home after being detained by her parents.
“Nagpasya akong umalis ng aming bahay dahil lagpas isang buwan na akong naka-house arrest dahil sa kagustuhan kong maglingkod sa bayan. That was so traumatic, lalo na it happened at the hands of my parent na inasahan kong pinaka makakaunawa sana ng aking decisions. Nandito lang po ako at isang personal na issue ng aming pamilya ang pasya ko na hindi umuwi sa amin,” she said.
(I decided to leave home because I was under house arrest for more than one month. That was so traumatic, especially since it was done by my parents whom I had hoped would understand my decisions. I am just here and my leaving home is a personal issue.)
She maintained she was not coerced nor brainwashed into joining Anakbayan.
Alicia accused the police and the military of using her parents to cover up for the government’s failures.
Albayalde said they filed charges on August 1 against several people who were allegedly involved in the recruitment of the minors.
“Ang kinakatakutan natin dito baka ito ay mga nasa bundok na. Baka madamay ito sa sinasabi na naman na maging sa engkwentro between AFP, PNP and the rebels tapos sila maging biktima tapos sasabihin na naman nila it's a human rights violation,” he said.
(We're afraid these missing students might have gone underground and when they get involved in clashes with the military, they would claim to be victims of human rights violations.)
The PNP chief said he asked his predecessor, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, to review the memorandum of understanding between the Department of Defense and the University of the Philippines banning soldiers and police at the university.
The MOU states that the military and police must first seek permission from the UP administration before they are allowed to enter the campus.
Albayalde said recruitment of students by the leftist groups could be avoided if police are visible inside school campuses. (SunStar Philippines)