Several parents groups have expressed support to Vice President Sara Z. Duterte for “standing up and defending the rights of every youth” to be free from the claws of the partylist groups with alleged links to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
The Hands Off Our Children Movement (HOOCM), representing parents of those children that were agitated and recruited by the CPP-NPA-NDF’s legal fronts operating in schools, sent an admiration letter to Duterte.
“We admire the perseverance and dedication of VP Inday Sara Duterte in bravely condemning and unmasking CPP-NPA-NDF and one of its cohorts — Makabayan Bloc from their terroristic and devious acts that victimized a lot of Filipinos for decades,” the group said on Tuesday.
Duterte, who is also the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, has chided former Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, saying her failure to get partylist group representation in the 19th Congress would protect Filipino children from grasping wrong ideology that the Makabayan Bloc espouses.
Duterte was reacting to Cullamat’s statement that her wearing of a tribal dress is “useless,” and only a “show-off” since the latter red-tagged the students and teachers of “Salugpungan” IP schools in Davao.
“We have clearly seen how Makabayan Bloc is desperately spinning things around as it scrambles to make sense in a world that has already rendered them inconsequential,” Duterte said.
“I congratulate the Filipino people for finally purging Congress with the likes of Bayan Muna and Eufemia Cullamat,” she added.
The HOOCM seconded Duterte’s statement, noting that the Filipino people’s rejection to bring back Bayan Muna and two other Makabayan bloc partylist groups in Congress “would put an end to the long-standing insurgency” maneuvered by the CPP-NPA-NDF and their cohorts.
The HOOCM vowed to fully support the undertakings of the vice president to “stand up and defend the rights of our children through educational awareness and information drives against the deceptive recruitment of CPP-NPA-NDF front organizations.”
The group also believes that Duterte has the capability and strong commitment to protect the youth from being enticed to join the communist armed struggle.
“We can save more lives and make more spaces conducive to peaceful activities and advocacies,” it said.
Meanwhile, Yakap ng Magulang president, Relissa Santos Lucena, whose daughter Alicia was recruited by militant organization Anakbayan and a member of Kabataan Partylist, said Duterte’s move to unmask the legal fronts of the CPP-NPA will finally curb their deceptive recruitment and exploitation of minors in various academic institutions.
Lucena said the members of the Makabayan Bloc can no longer hide the truth behind their connection to the communist rebels.
Thus, the government should act abruptly, Lucena said.
“There is a need to intensify the fight against the CPP-NPA-NDF in order to stop the long overdue violence, recruitment and deception of the innocent Filipino people by these organizations,” she said in Filipino.
Also lauding Duterte was the League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP).
The group said Duterte’s strong opposition to the terrorist group CPP-NPA-NDF means a lot to every parent and would give hope that the lives of their children, who have embraced the armed revolution, will be saved someday.
“It warms our hearts to know that VP Inday Sara, being also the Secretary of Education, is aware of the ongoing illegal recruitment of our children and youth by these terrorists through the Kabataan Partylist, League of Filipino Students, and among others,” Arlene Escalante, LPP spokesperson, told the Daily Tribune in a text message.