Palace skeptical school police presence would prevent leftist recruitment

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was skeptical that Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa's proposal for police and military presence in schools would actually prevent the recruitment of students by leftist groups.

“Ang presence ng police can prevent any crime being committed inside the campus. Pero recruitment I don’t think na it will solve,” Panelo told reporters on Tuesday.

The Palace spokesperson explained that leftists generally recruited in secret, and these did not even have to take place in campuses. 

That said, Panelo urged parents to make it clear to their children that communism was passé, and “they should not entertain joining any kind of subversive organization for their own sake.”

“Joining leftist organizations that are identified to overthrow the government, it’s wrong,” said Panelo.

A former Philippine National Police chief, Dela Rosa reported during a Senate hearing last week that 513 minors allegedly recruited by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army had been "neutralized" in the past 20 years.

The figure accounted for those who surrendered, were captured, and killed based on data from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Dela Rosa is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which was conducting an inquiry on the missing senior high school students who were allegedly recruited by leftist group Anakbayan. — DVM, GMA News