Lorenzana condemns recruitment of minors by left

August 8, 2019

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana condemns recruitment of minors by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-New People's Army (NPA)- National Democratic Front (NDF).

"The defense and military establishments are very vocal against the deceptive recruitment of young Filipinos in our schools and other institutions, and strongly condemn the abhorrent practice of using children in armed conflict," Lorenzana said in a statement issued Thursday.

Lorenzana said the communist group has been doing ''deceptive recruitment'' for decades.

"While we know for a fact the growing desperation of the CPP-NPA-NDF as their so called “forces” and influence tremendously diminish, their deceptive recruitment of minors is nothing new as since they have been doing this for decades," he said.

"Using 'legal front' organizations that purportedly advance the people’s democratic rights, they have freely operated in democratic spaces such as campuses and vulnerable communities to lure our citizens into joining sectoral organizations and eventually, the armed movement," he added.

Lorenzana emphasized "the communist terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF does not care for the lives of children, since they will use anyone to forward their selfish agenda."

"Several former rebels undergoing psycho-social interventions and availing assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) have attested they have been fighting the government since they were 14 or 15," he said. Robina Asido/DMS