MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) tagged four universities in Western Visayas as “recruitment havens” for communist rebels.
These were the Filamer Christian University in Roxas City and Capiz State University in Capiz, Central Philippine University in Iloilo City and Aklan State University in Aklan.
The four schools were among the 38 universities identified by NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. being targeted by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) for “radicalization and recruitment of children for its extremist activities.”
The administration of CPU was quick to admonish its inclusion.
“As Christians, we encourage peaceful resolution of conflicts. This is the humane thing to do,” CPU president Teodoro Robles said.
“Thousands of students have left the campus of CPU and have forged their own paths,” he added.
Robles also said that, as Centralians, their alumni “daily upholds our government in prayer as we face daunting task of rising above this (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.”
“As a Baptist institution of higher learning, CPU will always advocate for independence and democracy build on the foundations of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and peace,” he added.
Parlade earlier claimed the Department of National Defense-University of Philippines (UP) accord created hurdles in confirming communist recruitment in schools.
The abrogation of the pact, he said, was just right.
In terminating the 1989 UP-DND Accord, Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the agreement was being used as a “shield” for communist rebels to conduct on-campus recruitment.
UP has denied that it recruits for the NPA and asked Lorenzana to reconsider his decision in abrogating the accord./PN
