Army denies ‘red-tagging’ but confirms NPA recruitment in schools

THE 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army based in Iloilo City has confirmed that the Communist Party of the Philippines–new People’s Army (CPP-NPA) has been recruita ing students from different schools as their fighters and cadres through their “deceptive tactic.”

However, Captain Eduardo Precioso Jr., chief of 3rd Division Public Affairs Office, clarified in a press statement recently that there has been no “red-tagging” of schools in the said recruitment.

“What we are trying to deliver is a message that the CPP-NPA terrorist group is recruiting students in several schools through legal front organizations and school organizations,” he said.

This has been the deceptive tactic of the CPPNPA terrorist group particularly in Central and Western Visayas, he added.

Precioso said there are schools that have become a source of NPA recruits or being used as platforms for recruitment but he refused to give the names of these institutions.

Precioso said they are trying to communicate with the school administrators to explain to them the deceptive way of the CPP-NPA terrorist group and to talk about preventive measures to protect the students.

“We want to inform the school administrators, students, and parents to prevent the students from joining the terrorist group,” he added.

This deception never stops and the students become easy prey of this terrorist organization, Precioso said, as he urged the

students to be critical in joining organizations that are affiliated to terror groups.

“Let us be guided that the schools have the obligation or responsibility to protect their students from any unlawful actions or events made by an unlawful person or people particularly the CPP-NPA terrorist group,” he said.*