Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday refused to go to the ground and visit indigenous peoples’ schools as part of a challenge by ACT Teacher’s party-list Rep. France Castro.
Castro, one of the 18 members of a fact-finding mission group who was jailed in Talaingod, Davao del Norte over alleged trafficking of minors, said the PNP chief should see for himself what values are being taught to Lumad children.
“Hinahamon kita, Albayalde. Sasamahan kita sa isang Lumad school at mag-observe ka doon kung ano ‘yung itinuturo at nang makikita mo kung gaano kagagaling ‘yung estudyante ng mga Lumad school,” Castro said.
However, Albayalde is convinced that some learning institutions are being used by communist rebels to teach Lumad children with anti-government values as part of their possible recruitment to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
He said he knew this because the information came from the IPs themselves. “Hindi na siguro visit. Pagdating mo doon, iba na ‘yung turo. Iba ‘yung sinasabi ng mga IPs,” Albayalde said when asked if he would take Castro’s dare.
He cited the case when a 14-member group of IPs from Mindanao, called Mindanao Indigenous Peoples’ Coalition for Cultural, Justice, and Integrity, paid a courtesy call on him in Camp Crame, Quezon City, last Oct. 17.
The group told Albayalde that some learning institutions built for Lumad children were teaching the youth a different national anthem and ways on how to dismantle various firearms.
“We believe these IPs natin, itong mga Lumad na pumupunta. They did not probably spend much money to go here, to complain, and go around the different government agencies para maidulog yung kanilang concern. If you could just imagine, they are being exploited there at lason na lason ang kanilang pag-iisip,” he said. (Martin Sadongdong)
