Major General Antonio Parlade, Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil-Military Operations. (PNA File photo)
MANILA – There is nothing illegal with government proposal to reenact policies that will allow the military to coordinate and talk with schools officials and students in a bid to defeat the communist rebels and their allies, Major General Antonio Parlade, Jr., of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) said Thursday.
"It is part of our effort to end the local communist armed conflict. What's there to hide? The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) will be able to lick the armed component, the NPA (New People's Army) within the time frame but the source of their recruits in schools will continue if that deception and propaganda targeting vulnerable students will not be addressed," he said in a statement sent to PNA.
This in response to claims made by Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay who alleged that the government is revisiting policies, like the Anti-Subversion Law, to allow security forces greater leeway in entering and visiting schools as part of its anti-insurgency campaign and NTF ELCAC efforts.
Parlade, who is also AFP Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil-Military Operations, said this is one of the advantages of the NTF ELCAC as it can address the root causes insurgency and defeat poverty at the same time.
"We will address the root causes of insurgency using a whole-of-nation-approach, especially the primary causes - communist agitation and propaganda. That's right, it's not poverty, but we will address poverty just the same," he added.
NTF ELCAC was created by Executive Order 70, which was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last December 4, 2018.
It is tasked “to synchronize the utilization of the government's instrumentalities of power with the capabilities of private sector stakeholders to finally end the 50-year long deceit, lies, and atrocities committed by the communist terrorists against the people."
With these marching orders, Parlade finds it nonsensical on why Karapatan and its allied organizations are protesting efforts of the military to engage with schools and their administrators.
Shield students
"So what's your problem if we allow the state forces to engage the schools and its administrators? If our intent is to shield the students of the evil design of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) National Youth and Student Bureau to recruit 20,000 members for Anakbayan, LFS (League of Filipino Students) Kabataan and other CPP legal-front organizations, nationwide, is it bad?" he added.
He said for Ms. Palabay to insist that Anakbayan recruit Alicia Lucena is no longer a minor and that they are not recruiting for the NPA is another lie.
“Alicia was 16 when she went missing but you surfaced her when she was no longer a minor. Wait until more parents with minor children missing will come out. As of this statement, two parents from Balingasag, Misamis Oriental have reached out to the media to report that their children, both aged 16, and Grade 10 students of San Isidro National HS (high school) have gone missing for six days already," Parlade said.
For an organization claiming to defend the rights of oppressed Filipinos in general, he said he finds the group's inaction over reports of exploitation of children very disconcerting.
"You from Karapatan profess to defend the rights of the oppressed. Don’t you think this exploitation of these children is more than oppression? Through the CPP's front organizations, which also include Karapatan, they target children aged 13-35. That's in the strategy of the CPP's People's Academy," he added.
Sexual abuse
Despite the group's lack of response over purported CPP-NPA atrocities, he urged Karapatan to look into reports of sexual abuse, being committed against minor girl recruits, in the rebel ranks.
Reportedly, these girls are being used as bait to attract more male recruits in the diminishing force of the NPAs -- a ruse that Parlade calls the worst kind of exploitation.
"By the way, Ms. Palabay, you may also want to take a look at the sexual abuse complaints occurring within your ranks at the-CPP NPA, as soon as these minor girls are recruited. If you truly care for their future, investigate the many cases of rape, even if some are consensual already, which are occurring in your ranks. They are minors and they are exploited in the hills,” he said.
“After integration into the NPA these young girls are displayed in the communities 'to attract new male recruits' That's the worst kind of exploitation,” he said, adding that parents should be aware of this.
The CPP-NPA is listed as terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
