Military indoctrination to give students a ‘balanced perspective’ – AFP

Allowing the military to "indoctrinate" students in state universities and colleges would give them a "balanced view" given that these students were widely exposed to the activities and arguments of left-leaning organizations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) claimed on Saturday.

"What we are saying para magkaroon ng balanseng pananaw ang ating mga kabataan," AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. said on the sidelines of Miss Universe Catriona Gray's courtesy visit at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Madrigal argued further that the military should be allowed to explain to students what the AFP's efforts were all about.

"Makita niya lahat ng perspective para mas maganda ang kaniyang pag iisip kasi otherwise if we are not allowed to explain kung ano ang ginagawa ng Armed Forces to address ang mga issues, therefore, hindi natin masasagot," he explained.

"Dapat magkaroon ng patas na pananaw."

The scheme to have security forces "indoctrinate" students was floated by former Philippine National Police chief and now Senator Ronald dela Rosa during a Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs' inquiry on the disappearance of students after they allegedly joined left-leaning groups.

De la Rosa said that security forces should be allowed to "indoctrinate" students in order to compete with the alleged brainwashing activities of left-leaning organizations.

The senator also claimed that 513 minors allegedly recruited by left-leaning organizations had been "neutralized" by security forces the past 20 years. — John Ted Cordero/DVM, GMA News