Manila: A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has announced that the organization will persist in its efforts to engage with universities and the academe to inform and educate students about the realities of insurgency and the recruitment of young people.
According to Philippines News Agency, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., the executive director of NTF-ELCAC, emphasized that the task force will maintain respectful and open engagement with academic institutions. Torres highlighted the shared goal of ensuring that Filipino youth are equipped with truth, critical thinking, and opportunities, rather than being drawn into conflicts that perpetuate suffering and division.
The NTF-ELCAC official noted that the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), along with national democratic organizations, have been actively organizing and recruiting within major universities and schools. He asserted that this is a historical reality acknowledged by former members and the movement itself, and not an unfounded claim.
Torres shared that many former rebels, now working in peace-building, have recounted how their political journeys began on campuses where narratives romanticized armed struggle while downplaying its human cost. He called on universities to elevate the level of discourse on insurgency, youth recruitment, and academic freedom, emphasizing that honest and responsible debate should guide discussions on campuses to achieve just peace and genuine nation-building.
This call to action comes in light of recent social media debates sparked by a forum held at the University of Santo Tomas last year, which highlighted tensions between academic freedom and confronting the realities of insurgency and youth recruitment. Torres stressed that universities should be spaces where ideas collide and difficult national questions are debated, always aiming to promote peace and academic freedom.
He also pointed out that individuals who speak candidly about insurgency and youth recruitment, especially former rebels and knowledgeable scholars, should not be dismissed as enemies of academic freedom. Torres underlined the importance of listening to professors and resource persons who raise these concerns, even when their views are contested.
In conclusion, Torres acknowledged that passionate debates are inherent to university life, but the manner of engagement-whether respectful or dismissive-determines whether dialogue enlightens or divides.
