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Ex-rebels tell Senate panel they were students when recruited


Four former rebels on Wednesday testified before senators how leftist organizations recruited them when they were just students.

Among those who testified was 21-year-old Allem. Wearing a hoodie and covering her face, she said she was only 16 and a student of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines when she was recruited by the League of Filipino Students in 2014.

She said she was convinced to join the group when the issue on contractualization was explained as her mother was then a contractual employee.

"Nakita nila na may interest ako magtanong, kinulit na nila akong magkaroon ng pag-aaral. October 2014 nung sumali ako sa LFS,"  she said during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on missing students believed to be recruited by leftist groups.

"Dahil estudyante ka, 'Wow may ganito palang bagay.' Para sa akin adventure siya. Hindi ito alam ng mga kaklase ko kaya feeling ko mas nakakaangat ako sa kanila," she said.

Allem said she was an activist for three years before she decided to join the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

"Sa unit sa Mindanao ako napasok, October 2017, tatlong buwan sa Bukidnon, tatlong buwan sa Compostela Valley,” she said.

She said she decided to leave in April 2018 together with another member who became her husband.

Allem said when she became pregnant and when her child became sick she tried to get assistance from the communist group but she failed to get any.

"Sinubukan kong kumontak sa kanila dahil manganganak ako, kahit piso wala akong natanggap. Porke umalis na kami sa organisasyon at wala na silang pakinabang sa amin dahil pinili namin ito, pinabayaan na nila kami. Walang silang naitulong sa amin," she said.

Allem said this prompted her and her family to surrender to the military.

Meanwhile, Allem urged her former colleagues to let the "missing" students return to their families.

“Nagdesisyon akong magsalita para makarating sa mga dati kong kasamahan na maawa kayo sa mga magulang na gusto lang kasama ‘yung anak nila. ‘Wag mong ipagdamot ‘yun. Ngayon ko naiintindihan ang nanay na ko, naiintindihan ang sakripisyo ng ina sa pagpapalaki ng anak," she said.

Another former rebel, Nancy Dologuin, said she was an athlete at the Mindanao State University when she was recruited by Gabriela.

She admitted that she volunteered to join the organization because of her traumatic experience when a family member tried to rape her.

She said she was an activist for three years but decided to leave after eight months of being an NPA member.

"2009 umakyat ako. Eight months ako sa taas, bawal ang cellphone.  Bumababa ako, umabot ka sa punto na napapagod ka na," she said.

Dologuin said she is now a triathlete and a member of the national team.

But she admitted that returning to mainstream society is difficult.

“Kahit na umalis ka na hindi na normal ang buhay mo, huhusgahan ka. Tina-try ko maging normal ang buhay ko, hindi na magiging normal," she said. —KBK, GMA News

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