Anakbayan denies brainwashing students, points accusation back at gov’t citing mandatory ROTC

Youth mass organization 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.

“The reality is that it's not Anakbayan that engages in brainwashing, but rather Duterte's armed thugs in the military and police,” Anakbayan said in a statement on Thursday.

“It is they who are desperate to brainwash millions of Filipino students to blindly following the orders of greedy hoodlums and murderers in uniform by reviving Mandatory ROTC,” it added.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, during a hearing on allegedly missing students who were recruited by Anakbayan on Wednesday, claimed the group has been brainwashing and poisoning the minds of students to rebel against the government.

Anakabayan clarified that all those purported to be ‘missing’" are above the age of 18. The group also clarified that joining Anakbayan is voluntary.

“Every member is free to join and leave at any time,” the group said.

Anakbayan claimed that it was the government armed forces who are planning to brainwash students with the proposal of reviving the mandatory ROTC in high school.

“They want to brainwash the youth by militarizing schools, turning them into bases through which they can stamp out all forms of legitimate and legal dissent,” the group said.

On Wednesday, mothers of the five missing students who were allegedly recruited by left-leaning groups testified before a Senate committee where they emotionally narrated their ordeal. 

A complaint has been filed against members of Anakbayan over a "missing" senior high school student whom the group allegedly recruited. 

Anakbayan said the complaint is a desperate move to discredit activism. — Joviland Rita/MDM, GMA News