MANILA, Philippines – Nagbabala ang National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) sa publiko laban sa pagtatangka ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) na muling itatag ang impluwensya nito sa Davao Region sa pagbuhay sa mga ipinagbawal na Salugpungan schools.
Sa pahayag nitong Lunes, Setyembre 16, sinabi ni NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. na aktibo ang pangangampanya ng communist movement na muling itatag ang presensya nito sa mga komunidad at paggamit ng taktika gaya ng pagpapakalat ng misinformation at pagkakalat ng galit ng publiko.
“Last June, they (CPP-NPA) had a meeting where they discussed reviving radical Indigenous Peoples’ schools,” ani Torres.
“We must be aware. We are appealing to our member agencies – the Department of (the) Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), among others – to be vigilant because the CPP-NPA is really planning to revive such schools,” babala pa ni Torres.
Ang Salugpungan schools na itinayo noong 2007, ay private learning institutions para sa indigenous learners, na nakilala noong 2014 sa ilalim ng pangalang “Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center, Inc.”
Sa kabila nito, ipinag-utos ng DepEd noong 2019 ang pagpapasara sa 55 Salugpungan schools sa Davao region dahil sa iba’t ibang paglabag at alegasyon na ginagamit ito bilang recruitment centers ng NPA.
Inihayag ng DepEd na bigong makapag-comply ang mga paaralang ito sa curriculum standards, unauthorized fundraising, unlicensed teachers at pag-operate sa ancestral domains na walang tamang consent.
Nadiskubre rin sa testimonya ng mga dating estudyante at guro na ginagamit ang mga ito para sa training at recruitment ng NPA.
Sinabo naman ni Torres na mayroon ding “Salugpungan International,” na pinopondohan ng mga dayuhang organisasyon sa pagpapanggap na tumutulong sa Indigenous Peoples.
Inilarawan niya na sa naturang pamamaraan, malaking bahagi ng pondo ay napupunta sa CPP-NPA, at maliit lamang ang napupunta talaga sa mga paaralan.
“For example, 60 percent of the funds goes to the revolution, and 40 percent goes to the school. They need to keep this going to generate resources, cadre, and exploit the IPs. Many organizations want to help, but some groups within our country are using and exploiting the IPs. We need to realize this and prevent them from reviving schools that breed NPAs,” dagdag pa.
“The CPP-NPA goes down to the level of even young children, from grade 1 to grade 6 in the Salugpungan schools, They are radicalized so that when they become teenagers, they know nothing but to go against the government,” pagpapatuloy ni Torres.
“You would know, you can determine the change in attitude. There are identifiable signs. They lose their individuality. They follow the dictates of the underground movement. And sometimes when you get to that point, there is no turning back anymore.”
Nanawagan si Torres sa legislasyon na protektahan ang mga kabataan at mga bata mula sa terror grooming at hinimok ang publiko na maging alerto.
“They deserve to have peaceful lives. You need to know the truth about certain groups and organizations so that you can make informed choices that won’t hurt you, your families, and your communities,” pagtatapos ni Torres. RNT/JGC
