PNP: Reds infiltrating schools, religious sector

MANILA, Philippines — Even teachers and members of religious groups are being recruited by communist fronts, a police official said yesterday.

Philippine National Police – Police Community Relations Group director Maj. Gen. Benigno Durana Jr. said front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) such as the League of Filipino Students, College Editors Guild of the Philippines and Anakbayan have infiltrated not only schools but also the religious sector.

These groups, according to Durana, are not only recruiting students but also teachers and religious workers.

He cited the Rural Missionary of the Philippines, which, he claimed, is being used by the CPP to “poison” the minds of lumads by setting up schools to brainwash students.

Durana said these groups have been infiltrating schools and asking teachers to recruit students to become either militant leaders or fighters who will go up against the government together with the New People’s Army (NPA).

“Hindi ko dini-discount na ang infiltration ng CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front) and their front organizations ay sa lahat ng sektor ng ating lipunan (I’m not discounting that the infiltration of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their front organizations are in all sectors of our society),” he said in an interview over radio station dzBB.

Durana added that the groups are also taking advantage of students as young as 13 years to join the local communist movement.

“Their purpose is to agitate and radicalize the students to hate and rebel against the government,” he said.