PEACE RALLY. Youth peace advocates carry a tarpaulin condemning the deception efforts and recruitment among their sector of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front during a lighting rally held in General Santos City late Monday afternoon in line with the 157th birthday of revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio. Simultaneous rallies were also held in parts of South Cotabato province. (Photo courtesy of the city police)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Peace advocates here and in parts of South Cotabato province condemned and called for an end to the atrocities and continuing recruitment of youth, especially students and minors, by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
They issued the call during the lighting rallies held late Monday afternoon in the city, Koronadal City, and other municipalities in South Cotabato in remembrance of the 157th birthday of revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio.
Carrying placards and tarpaulins condemning the “terrorist activities” of the CPP-NPA-NDF, hundreds of peace advocates as well as police and Army personnel gathered in various public areas past 5 p.m. for the simultaneous candle lighting and rallies.
Col. Gilberto Tuzon, acting city police director, said the mobilization was aimed to counter the communist propaganda and efforts by groups espousing its agenda to deceive the youth into joining them.
He urged parents to help properly educate their children, watch over them, and ensure that they would not be influenced by their agents or recruiters.
“We already have many young lives that were wasted because of this,” he told reporters.
Tuzon called on the CPP-NPA-NDF and its allied groups to stop recruiting innocent minors and using the youth for their own political interests.
Lt. Col. Datu Hasbi Jamalul, acting civil-military operations officer of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they monitored the recruitment activities of communist-allied groups even amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
He appealed to the public to be aware of the communist-terrorist that have been spewing propaganda circulating on social media.
“Let’s use it instead to counter disinformation and rally other people, especially the youth, to stand up against them,” he said.
The mobilization here, which was held in front of the historic Plaza Heneral Santos, was joined by staff officers and station commanders of the city police, personnel from the Task Force Gensan, barangay chairpersons, Kabataan Kontra Droga At Terorismo (KKDAT) members, and barangay peacekeeping teams.
In South Cotabato, representatives from the youth sector composed of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and KKDAT members, barangay peacekeepers, and police personnel gathered at the Rizal Park in Koronadal City for the rally.
The advocates were from Koronadal City and the municipalities of Tantangan and Banga. Similar activities were also held in Polomolok town.
Jeric Ignacio, SK federation president of Tantangan town, rallied the youth to be “modern heroes” and be instruments of peace in their communities.
“We can support and help our government in our own ways by being active in our communities,” he said. (PNA)
