By MARTIN SADONGDONG
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. was elated with the shutdown of schools for indigenous peoples (IPs) in Mindanao which were allegedly infiltrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) to teach Left-leaning ideologies to its students. Esperon, who also serves as the vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said Salugpungan and Alcadev schools –
most of which were established in Davao – were the “major sources” of NPA recruitment in the region.
“Natutuwa ako na dito sa Mindanao, ‘yung major source of recruitment ay mukhang natanggal na natin. Ano ‘yun? Salugpungan schools. NPA schools.
Fifty-five na Salugpungan… Isang Alcadev. Natanggal lahat ‘yun,” he said during a meeting of the Joint National Task Force-Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Region 10 (JNTF-RTF-ELCAC) in Cagayan de Oro City Friday.
In October 2019, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered the closure of 55 schools operated and owned by the Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Centers in Davao region for its alleged failure to comply with the requirements of the government.
On the other hand, 178 Alcadev Lumad schools were shut down since 2016, according to Lumad group “Save Our Schools” (SOS) Network.
Esperon claimed that the closed Lumad schools accounted for the recruitment of students into the communist movement, 73 percent of which are IPs. He added that these schools were funded by the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), a church-based organization tagged by the government as a front of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“Talagang nagulat ako noong nalaman ko na RMP ang nagpopondo. Saan galing ang pondo? Sa NGO sa Europa, America, Australia. Pero 40 percent lang ang napupunta sa proyekto. Saan napupunta ang 60 percent? Sa NPA,” Esperon said.
The RMP has yet to comment on Esperon’s recent allegations but in past media statements, the group had already denied that they are a front organization of the CPP.
