Parlade says top universities among 18 schools NPA recruitment is taking place

A military official on Saturday named top universities and colleges in the Philippines the Armed Forces tagged as among 18 learning institutions that are hotbeds of communist recruitment.

In an interview on GMA News' Super Radyo dzBB, Lieutenant General  Antonio Parlade Jr., spokesman for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the military has listed, at least, 18 colleges and universities mostly in the National Capital Region that communist recruitment activities are taking place.

Parlade said that aside from the University of the Philippines (UP), the following learning institutions are recruitment haven for communists: The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Far Eastern University (FEU), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), University of Santo Tomas (UST), Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), De La Salle University (DLSU), University of Makati, among others.

Parlade said that because of the DND-UP accord, the military had faced hurdles in confirming communist recruitment, adding that the abrogation of the accord is just right.

"Mas mapag-aaralan ang nangyayaring recruitment ng CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army) sa UP matapos maibasura ang UP-DND Accord."

In a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Dr. Elena Pernia, Vice Presdent for Public Affairs of UP, said the school's  administration is open to a dialogue with the Department of National Defense to discuss DND's termination accord.

But Penia said they want more information about allegations that students were recruited for the communist insurgency.

“Gaya ng sinabi na namin, ang UP naman laging open sa dialogo lalo na sa mga bagay na pareho nito,” Pernia said.

Earlier, UP president Danilo Concepcion, in a letter to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorezana, urged the DND to reconsider the revocation of the 1989 pact with the university and suggested that school officials and the Defense chief could meet to discuss the latter's concerns in the shared spirit of peace, justice, and the pursuit of excellence. 

GMA News Online is still trying to reach the other mentioned schools for comment. —with Ted Cordero/LBG/MDM, GMA News