MANILA -- As part of its continuing efforts to curb recruitment activities of communists, the Philippine National Police (PNP) seeks to expands its talks with higher education institutions (HEIs), including those in provinces.
“We will go to other universities because this is not only happening here (Metro Manila),” PNP chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde said.
Albayalde said the outcome would serve as a template in the conduct of the dialogues with heads of colleges and universities in various parts of the country.
“We will just have a pilot project here in National Capital Region. If the result is good, we can go to the different parts of the country,” he added.
“The dialogue in the provinces could be delegated to the police regional directors,” he added.
Albayalde, however, clarified that their proposed dialogue will not be mandatory, stressing that only small percentage of colleges and universities could be recruitment hubs of communists.
Albayalde earlier tasked National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar, to initiate the dialogue with the presidents and heads of the 18 colleges and universities tagged by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as recruitment grounds of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Eleazar confirmed that he met with CHED Officer-in-Charge Prospero de Vera III on Saturday.
“Dr. de Vera intends to consult with presidents or leaders of universities not only in NCR (National Capital Region) but in other regions to discuss the issue and eventually hold dialogues with them and the PNP leadership,” Eleazar said.
The commission has yet to come up with the schedule of the dialogue.
Albayalde earlier urged the CHED to do its part in preventing the recruitment of communist rebels, citing incidents in the past wherein parents themselves were surprised that their children were either arrested or killed in military and police operations.
“The only thing is we are just concerned about the welfare and the education of our students who could be easily influenced especially those who are emotional,” he said.
Albayalde assured that the “coordination” with colleges and universities will not equate to the suppression of academic freedom.
“Let me point out that human rights advocacy is an institutional policy in the PNP that is deeply-rooted in our doctrine, systems and procedures,” he said.
Albayalde added that the continuing education on human rights has been constantly afforded to all 180,000 police personnel through periodic training programs and follow-on seminars, while human rights training modules are now incorporated in all PNP mandatory training and specialization courses from recruitment and onwards along the entire career in the police service.
He also reaffirmed his earlier pronouncements about the reported infiltration by front organizations of the leftist underground movement, to radicalize and recruit young students in some state colleges and universities.
While stressing that academic freedom is important to promote critical thinking in educational institutions, he said it does not give anyone the right to abet, encourage or violate laws and regulations much more, to take advantage of the students’ idealism to propagate hatred, violence and armed struggle against the government.
“I just hope that patriotism and nationalism that promote values of love, sacrifice and service to country would be taught more in our schools especially in state colleges and universities,” he added. (PNA)
