Police access to campuses is to ensure students' safety —Eleazar

As far as National Capital Region Police Office chief Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar is concerned, allowing police presence inside the campus of a school, college or university will further ensure the safety and security of the students there.

Eleazar made the remark on Sunday following a Senate hearing last week where parents of some senior high school students testified how their children allegedly went missing after being recruited by left-leaning organizations.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Eleazar recalled that prohibiting the entry of police forces inside campuses has long been implemented by some schools and universities.

"Nung nasa QCPD (Quezon City Police District) pa ako, merong ganung panuntunan na or arrangement with state universities particularly University of the Philippines. 'Yung presence ng police sa loob ng campus ay hindi pinapayagan," he said.

"Subalit nakita naman namin doon sa University of the Philippines na ang pulis naman ay pinapayagan nilang pumasok as long as meron tayong coordination doon sa security ng campus na 'yun," he added.

But Eleazar believes that it would not hurt if police officers will be allowed access inside campuses.

"Kung ito ay magkakaroon ng mas maluwag na arrangement na meron tayong access sa kanila, lalo kung ito naman ay magbibigay ng visibility ng ating pulis doon, sa tingin ko mas makakatulong 'yun sa ating mga kabataan, mga estudyante at sa seguridad na rin ng naturang pamantasan," he said.

Eleazar is expecting that more hearings in the Senate will be conducted regarding this matter.

"Pag-uusapan pa 'yan. May susunod pang mga Senate hearings. May patawag ang ating mahal na Senador Gen. Bato Dela Rosa upang pag-usapan 'yan at talakayin ang mga bagay na puwedeng mag-improve ng sitwasyon sa loob ng ating mga eskwelahan," he added.

Dela Rosa on Wednesday expressed alarm over the huge number of minors supposedly recruited by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army.

He reported that a total of 513 minors allegedly recruited by the left-wing group have already been "neutralized" in the past 20 years.

“Alarming in the sense na mga menor de edad ito na dapat nag-aaral. Bakit andun sa kalsada? Nabe-brainwash, pino-poison ang utak nitong mga makakaliwa para lumaban sa gobyerno. Very alarming 'yan,” he said.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said it has filed a complaint against Anakbayan over the case of a missing senior high student.

Anakbayan on Thursday denied allegations that they were brainwashing students into joining the group, and turned the tables on the government, saying reviving mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program would brainwash high school students.

Anakbayan spokesperson Alex Danday also called the filing of the complaint a "desperate" move by President Rodrigo Duterte, with the help of the security forces and the Senate, to discredit activism.

“Desperate moves ito ni Duterte kasama ang militar at Senado para i-discredit ang aktibismo, siraan ang paglaban ng mamamayan sa gitna ng tumitinding kalagayan ng bansa,” Danday has said. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News