Bato urges guidance counselors to 'profile students' prone to NPA recruitment

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Tuesday urged guidance counselors in educational institutions to "profile students" who are vulnerable to the recruitment of the New People's Army (NPA) which is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

"Based doon sa sinasabi ng mga nag-surrender na mga recruiter ng NPA...dapat kayong mga guidance counselor ng eskwelahan, magaling din na profiler. I-profile niyo ang mga estudyante niyo," Dela Rosa said.

(Based on the testimonies of the NPA recruiters who surrendered to authorities, I think campus guidance counselors should also become efficient profilers. You should monitor those bright, quiet, and resentful students because they are the ones who are prone to NPA's recruitment.)

Dela Rosa made the statement during the resumption of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs' inquiry into the alleged continuous recruitment of students to communist groups.

"'Pag nakita niyo ang isang estudyante na medyo matalino-- pag UP (University of the Philippines) talaga matalino naman talaga eh-- medyo matalino tapos medyo tahimik, tapos medyo parang galit sa mundo, 'yan ang napakadaling i-recruit doon na magiging extremist at magbe-bear ng firearms, sumama sa NPA," he added.

('When you see a student who is a bit smart, like most of the students from UP are, those who are a little quiet and seem to be angry at the world, they become vulnerable to extremist recruitment and may join the NPA.)

Dela Rosa said that the NPA recruiters are just roaming around the campuses to look for students who are "very ripe for the picking."

"'Yung mga recruiter d'yan sa mga campuses... nag-o-observe lang 'yan na very ripe for the picking, very ripe na low hanging fruits na pwede nilang makuha kaagad," he said.

(There are recruiters on the campuses who are observing the students, whom they see as very ripe for the picking.) 

Red-tagging of students

At the same hearing, University of Philippines Visayas legal office chief Nellie Jo Aujero-Regalado raised their concern about the red-tagging of their students.

"Some of our students experience discrimination or they are harassed because they are being red tagged. Pag UP student parang they are identified, 'terorista na kayo', 'komunista na kayo,'" Regalado shared.

She cited as an example the case of some students who were being blocked while they were commuting from one campus to another.

"Our students have to commute between the two campuses. Sometimes, hinaharang sila, tinatanong sinong taga-UP dyan. Para sa amin 'yun po ang problema namin. That's why we want to protect our students from harassment, from red-tagging," she added.

(Our students have to commute between the two campuses of UP Visayas. Sometimes, they are blocked and asked who among them are studying in UP. That's our problem and we want to protect our students from harassment and red-tagging.)

Dela Rosa, in response, said he shares Regalado's concern on harassment of UP Visayas students. 

"Kawawa naman 'yung estudyante, nag-aral lang tapos gaganunin na. Napakahriap po pag ganun ang sitwasyon, 'di ba?" the senator said. 

(I pity those students who have to endure that while just trying to get an education.)

The Supreme Court recently ruled that red-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, or security.

Recruited students

In the same hearing, the Philippine National Police reported 168 students who were recruited to join communist-terrorist groups from 2014 to 2024. 

According to PNP Directorate for Operations Pol. Col. Randy Arceo, 123 students were recruited in colleges and universities, 34 were high school students, and 11 were from elementary schools. 

Of this number, 33 students died in police operations, 42 were arrested, and 93 surrendered to authorities. 

The PNP data showed that schools with highest numbers of recruited students are Putian National High School in Cuartero, Capiz followed by UP Diliman, PUP Manila, UP Manila and UP Tacloban. —VAL, GMA Integrated News