FORUM. Brig. Gen. Benedicto Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade stationed in Murcia, Negros Occidental, talks before students and teachers of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City on the “Deceptive Youth Recruitment Strategy of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front”. After the forum held on Saturday (Aug. 24, 2019), Arevalo said it is a true exercise of academic freedom when the military is also heard about the lies, deceptions and manipulations of the CPP-NPA-NDF. (Photo courtesy of PA's 303rd Infantry Brigade)
BACOLOD CITY -- Giving the Armed Forces of the Philippines the opportunity to be heard in schools is a “true exercise of academic freedom”, a top Philippine Army official in Negros Island said.
Brig. Gen. Benedicto Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade stationed in Murcia, Negros Occidental, underscored this after giving a talk before students and teachers in a security forum hosted by the University of St. La Salle here over the weekend.
He discussed the “Deceptive Youth Recruitment Strategy of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF)”.
“Indeed, it is a true exercise of academic freedom when the military is also heard by the students and faculty about the lies, deceptions and manipulations of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Arevalo said in a statement on Monday.
The Army official pointed out that some colleges and universities have the thinking that it is only through hearing leftist ideas that they are able to practice academic freedom.
“When the military is seen and heard in the campuses, they call it militarization. That is another lie and deception,” Arevalo said.
As part of his hour-long talk, Arevalo showed the three-minute animated film “Pindoy”, which tells how the CPP-NPA-NDF encroach schools, mislead, enrage students, and eventually turn them into NPA fighters.
“Sadly, statistics tell us that many youth who joined the NPA only perished during encounters with the military,” Arevalo said as he encouraged students to watch “Pindoy” often on video-sharing website YouTube to be shielded from the lies and deceptions of the communist-terrorist group.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
“We should be able to distinguish activism from supporting terrorism. The government respects academic freedom and allows the people to express what they want and critic the flaws they see in the society. But once a person starts to take up arms or support terrorist organizations like the CPP-NPA, that is already against the law and the government will act upon it,” Arevalo added.
The USLS forum also featured Negrense development worker Edwin Marthine Lopez of the AlterTrade Foundation Inc., who talked about national security from a different perspective. (PNA)
