Sponsorship Speech
COMMITTEE REPORT 10
Senate Resolution 38

SLIDE 1 (SAGOT KITA)

SLIDE 2 (COMMITTEE REPORT)

Mr. President, I stand before this August body, to sponsor Committee Report no. 10 containing Senate Resolution No. 38 entitled

SLIDE 3 (PS RESOLUTION)

"Resolution directing the Senate Committees on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs and National Security and Defense to Conduct an Inquiry, in Aid of Legislation, on Missing Minors who are Allegedly Recruited by Leftist Groups as their Members and Fighters to the Detriment of the Welfare of said Minors, with the End in View of Recommending Measures that will Ensure Peace and Promote the Welfare of Children." Ginoong Pangulo, napakahalaga ng Committee Report na ito sapagkat ang paksa na nakapaloob sa Report ay tungkol sa hinaing ng mga magulang hinggil sa nawawala nilang mga anak, at ang pangkalahatang kapakanan ng mga kabataang Pilipino.

SLIDE 4 (WHERE ARE OUR DAUGHTERS)

Last 23rd of July, 2019, a group of parents came to my office to share their sentiments and agony over their missing daughters, most of whom are minors. According to the painful recounts of the mothers, their daughters were enrolled in their respective schools as Senior High School students. Everything was in order, or at least, so the unsuspecting mothers thought. However, what appeared as interesting school activities for their children, turned out to be recruitment schemes employed by "student leaders" who, in reality, were enlisting young, active, naïve, vulnerable young students as members of leftleaning organizations. Taking advantage of the susceptibility and curiosity of the youth, the recruiters induced these minors to leave and abandon their schools and homes, and to devote their time to support the advocacies of their organizations whose philosophies tend towards the revolutionary movement.

SLIDE 5 (NAGBAGO PO ANG AMING ANAK...)

The journey that your Committee traversed was emotionally laden. The mothers agonizingly recalled how they saw the drastic changes in their daughters' behavior. From being timid, industrious and respectful, their daughters gradually exhibited aggressive and resentful manners, and became easily agitated upon hearing social issues. Suddenly, their daughters' whereabouts became a source of daily stress. Communications became less frequent. Fabricated alibis ran from so-called leadership trainings, fora, and seminars, just to be away from home for a number of days. Then days became weeks, and weeks became months, until some of these minors were nowhere to be found.

SLIDE 6 (SENATE INVESTIGATION)

That is what precisely brings us here, in the very walls of this Session Hall, where I now stand before you, imploring you to think, see, and feel, not only as Senators of the country, but also, and more importantly, as parents and guardians to our children.

Ginoong Pangulo, hindi natin lubos maisip ang pighati ng mga magulang na nawawalan ng mga anak. Walang gamot ang makapagpapagaling sa sakit na nararamdaman ng isang magulang kung mawalay ang anak niya, lalo't walang kasiguraduhan sa kanyang kaligtasan.

In their desperation to look for their daughters, these mothers searched through each nook and cranny of every street just to find traces of their presence. But everyone knows that no matter where the search may lead, a mother's heart is always drawn back to her beloved brood.

SLIDE 7 (WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CHILDREN?)

We could hardly imagine the shock and dismay of these mothers when they saw and discovered their young daughters, now undernourished and grimy, in the middle of the streets participating in rallies, holding banners and placards, and provocatively chanting tirades against the Government. These mothers could barely recognize their own daughters. Suddenly they realized that their daughters had transformed into different persons, and were no longer the same innocent children whom they nurtured and cared for all these years.

But what could have triggered this sudden twist of fate?

SLIDE 8 (PROTESTERS)

Ginoong Pangulo, ayon sa mga salaysay ng mga magulang ng mga nawawalang bata, at ayon na din sa mga larawan na nakita nila sa Facebook accounts ng kanilang mga anak, ang mga anak nila ay hinikayat ng mga miyembro at opisyales ng Kabataan Partylist, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, at Gabriela Youth, na sumanib sa kanilang organisasyon, at suportahan ang makakaliwang adhikain tungo sa armadong pakikibaka laban sa pamahalaan.

SLIDE 9 (AOM)

Mr. President, your Committee unraveled, through its investigations, the deceptive pattern employed by Kabataan Partylist, Anakbayan, and the other leftleaning groups, in making rebels out of our young students.

The representatives of these groups prey upon the youth sector, particularly young students who are most vulnerable to fall into the pit of their deception. Yung mga estudyante na hindi nakakaangat sa estado ng buhay, yung mga may galit sa mga magulang, yung mga may pinagdadaanan na pagsubok sa pamilya, eto ang mga target ng mga makakaliwang grupo na hikayatin na maging miyembro ng kanilang samahan. Marahil dahil sa madaling mahikayat at maniwala ang mga estudyante na may pinagdadaanan sa buhay, kung kaya't sila ang pinupuntirya ng mga makakaliwang grupo na maging kasapi nila.

In the guise of lectures, fora, or seminars, representatives of these left-leaning groups would discuss to young students some academic issues like tuition fee increases, student representation on policy-making bodies, and the like. Then, the discussions escalate to more serious social, political and economic problems such as massive unemployment, suppression and violation of individual rights, steady price hike of commodities, among others. This is the stage where these representatives indoctrinate the students in the belief that the Government is not responsive to the needs of the people, and that poverty is embedded into the system. They inculcate into the young minds of our students that the only way to eliminate social ills is to defy the duly constituted authorities, and raise arms.

Dito na magsisimula ang baluktot na pag iisip at pananaw ng mga kabataan hinggil sa pamunuan ng ating pamahalaan. Dito na sila maghahanap ng paraan upang lumahok sa pakikibaka ng mga makakaliwang grupo. Eto ang simula ng pagsanib ng mga estudyante sa mga rally at protesta laban sa pamahalaan. Dito lalong pinaiigting ng mga makakaliwang grupo ang interes ng kabataan na sumanib sa kanilang samahan upang lalong maintindihan ang sakit sa lipunan. Aabot sa puntong hihikayatin ang ating mga kabataan na sumama sa kabundukan kung saan makikisalamuha sila sa mga maralita at danasin ang buhay ng pakikibaka.

Mr. President, this is where our young students are immersed into the life and struggles in and of the countryside. This is the stage where they personally deal with the farmers, peasants and their respective families, and experience the struggles of daily living. Their recruiters take advantage of this phase where they indoctrinate the minds of our students in the perceived inability of the Government to alleviate the plight of the poverty-stricken communities. Unbeknownst to these young students, they are now actually dealing face to face with the members of the New People's Army who are all too happy to have new recruits in their midst.

SLIDE 10 (SAVE OUR YOUTH)

Ginoong Pangulo, sa puntong ito, namumulat na ang mata at isip ng ating mga kabataan na napasama sa kabundukan sa reyalidad na kanilang kinakaharap. Dito nila mararanasan ang hirap at pasakit sa buhay na kanilang pinili. Sa mga kabataang nakabalik sa buhay estudyante, sila ay nagiging lider ng organisasyon sa kanilang paaralan at inaatasang manghikayat pa ng mas marami pang estudyante na sumanib sa kanilang grupo, at tanggapin ang mga adhikaing makakaliwa. Ngunit meron din namang tuluyan nang isinabuhay ang ideolohiya ng pag-aaklas at pagtutol sa polisiya ng Gobyerno.

Sila ang nagiging "hardcore" members ng komunistang grupo, na isinasapuso ang rebolusyonaryong pag-iisip.

News reports tell us that according to the Department of Interior and Local Government, some 500 to 1,000 young people are being recruited by communist rebels every year. The number is not just a cause for alarm, Mr. President. The number is practically a wake-up call, rousing us from the sleep of complacent policies and overly trusting parenthood.

On the brighter side, not all student activists who embraced the life in the countryside have reached the point of no return. Luckily for some young students, they have realized that living a life of armed struggles is not the solution to the social ills, and that the revolutionary life is nothing but an empty promise of a better life. It is unfortunate, however, that the 'normal life' they wish to return to is often no longer there.

Karamihan sa ating mga kabataan na sumanib sa makakaliwang grupo ay na-brainwash na ng mga miyembro ng NPA na hindi na sila maaaring bumaba ng kabundukan at bumalik sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya. Ito ay sa kadahilanang sila'y natukoy na ng mga militar, kung kaya't sila ay maaari nang arestuhin, ikulong, pahirapan, at patayin. Sa takot na mapahamak pa, ang iba ay nagtitiis na lamang sa buhay-NPA, at pinili na lang mamuhay nang patuloy na nakikibaka, at sa kasawiang palad, ang iba ay napapatay sa engkwentro sa militar.

Mr. President, the scenario presented in this Committee Report is not new. It is unfortunate that the recruitment of young students by communist groups has been a vicious cycle for many years now. But why do they go after the young generation? Why victimize the juvenile minds whose spring of ideas is unsullied and incorruptible? Why exploit the future of the youth by instilling revolutionary philosophies of defiance, armed struggle and radicalism?

The answers we have for these questions, Mr. President, may not be final, but they are plausible, and they are reliable. Your committee surmises that the central reason to why the youth are being targeted lies in their vulnerability to indoctrination, especially in accepting an ideological system that they thought was the perfect answer to society's struggles.

Ginoong Pangulo, hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng mga tao ang presensya at impluwensya ng lider ng Communist Party of the Philippines na si Jose Maria Sison. Ayon sa mga paguulat, siya, na dati ring aktibista, ang nagbibigay ng direktiba sa mga kaalyadong organisasyon - dapat mas lalong paigtingin ang panghihikayat sa ating mga kabataan na sumanib sa mga aktibidad ng kanilang grupo. Sa ganitong paraan, lalong dadami ang kanilang mga kasapi, lalong lalawak ang paglaganap ng kanilang pilosopiya, at lalong lalakas ang armadong pakikibaka sa ating bansa. At nagagawa nila ito sa pamamagitan ng mga nagpapakilalang lider ng aktibistang organisasyon ng mga kabataan at estudyante.

Ganito ang nangyari sa ating mga estudyante't anak, at ang kanilang kuwento ang nakapaloob sa Committee Report na inihain ko sa Senado. Ang kuwento ng mga menor de edad na estudyanteng nahikayat na sumanib sa Kabataan Partylist, sa grupong Anakbayan, at sa League of Filipino Students, na hindi na bumalik sa kani-kanilang mga magulang, at ngayon ay patuloy na hinahanap ng kani-kanilang pamilya.

SLIDE 11 (STUDENT ACTIVISM - WHITE)

Lest we be misunderstood, allow me Mr. President to emphasize that being an activist does not necessarily equate to being a communist. School activism is, by all means, a positive step towards the enlightenment of young minds to the various social maladies, and the corresponding action of the Government and its citizenry in responding to the needs and welfare of the people. Hence, the democratic right to express one's opposition to the Government and its leaders is more than accepted; it is gravely important.

SLIDE 12 (STUDENT ACTIVISM - ORANGE)

The right to express one's beliefs in how to manage the affairs of the State should never be curtailed nor suppressed.

However, the corresponding actions done pursuant to one's ideology should never be at the expense of the rights and welfare of others, especially our young people, whose innocence should not be exploited by the leftist groups. The directive to focus on the youth as the buffer zone for revolutionary movement should be condemned. It is definitely not worth the sacrifice. Many of our young people have already lost their lives by being at the frontline of the armed revolution. These were the same youth who had promising futures, who led brilliant academic lives, and who were cared for by their families, until they were recruited by the wrong people who led them towards the road to perdition.

SLIDE 13 (Admin Recommendations)

Mr. President, there are several administrative and legislative recommendations in the Committee Report submitted for consideration by this August Chamber.

First, we must increase and intensify the internal security enforcement in schools, taking into account CHED Memorandum Order 09, Series of 2013, entitled Enhanced Policies and Guidelines on Student Affairs and Services, specifically section 28, Safety and Security Services, and DepEd Order 44, Series of 2005, or the Declaration of Schools as Zones of Peace.

SLIDE 14 (POLICE VISIBILITY)

Second, we must increase police visibility in school premises, with the reasonable number of police forces at an acceptable designated time. We value the right of expression and academic freedom. However, the exercise of these rights should not be at the expense of the rights and interests of the youth who may end up as armed combatants by insurgent groups.

SLIDE 15 (STUDENT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM)

Third, there must be stringent regulations on the issuance of student identification cards in schools. Schools must adopt an efficient, reliable, and secured identification system.

SLIDE 16 (IMPLEMENT DepEd and CHED ORDERS)

Fourth, there must be a strict implementation of DepEd Order No. 66, series of 2017 or the Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Off-Campus Activities, and CHED Memorandum Order 63, series of 2017 or the Policies and Guidelines on Local Off-Campus Activities. School authorities should observe due diligence in the conduct of off-campus activities; otherwise, administrative sanctions will be imposed.

SLIDE 17 (LIABILITIES OF TEACHERS)

Fifth, CHED and DepEd should look into the possible liabilities of school administration and teachers of the universities and colleges where the minors are enrolled. Furthermore, CHED should likewise look into the reported continuing recruitment of students in Higher Education Institutions to determine liabilities of the school administration and teachers.

SLIDE 18 (AFP AND PNP FORA)

Sixth, the AFP and the PNP shall conduct seminars or lectures to students and parents on "Arouse, Organize, Mobilize", and career orientation in the law enforcement sector in order to encourage students to pursue studying law enforcement related courses.

SLIDE 19 (REVIEW CURRICULA)

Seventh, DepEd and CHED must exercise regulatory and supervisory powers in reviewing schools' curricula, syllabus and Daily Lesson Log, to ensure that values of patriotism, cultural enrichment and historical preservation are taught in schools. An exception is granted to those private higher education institutions that are autonomous or have deregulated status, pursuant to CHED Memorandum Order 52, Series of 2006.

SLIDE 20 (INVESTIGATE TEACHERS)

Eighth, an Administrative Order must be issued by the CHED and DepEd, mandating school administrators to initiate thorough administrative investigations against teachers who instigate their students to join rallies and demonstrations advocating radical or subversive ideologies. And as a result of said investigations, administrative sanctions should be meted out against the teachers, if the facts and evidence warrant.

SLIDE 21 (DEBRIEFING PROGRAMS)

Ninth, there must be an adoption of psychological de-briefing and de-radicalization programs by the DSWD, PNP, and AFP for the recruited and indoctrinated minors and students.

SLIDE 22 (INVESTIGATE RECRUITERS)

Tenth, further investigation of the recruiters of the minors should be done for possible filing of criminal charges.

SLIDE 23 (INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE)

Eleventh, an Inter-Agency Task Force shall be created for the search and rescue of missing students who are believed to be recruited by leftist groups. The task force shall be composed of DepEd, CHED, AFP, PNP, DSWD, CHR other government agencies and private institutions. The task force shall closely coordinate with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

SLIDE 24 (LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS)

Mr. President, as part of the legislative recommendations, your Committee endorses the following: amendment to RA 11188 or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict, to expand coverage of recruitment of children in armed conflict to include students recruited by insurgent groups in schools.

SLIDE 25 (RA 9208)

Likewise, amendment to RA 9208 or the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, must be introduced, in order to include as "qualified trafficking in persons" the recruitment of children as armed combatants.

Furthermore, RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, should be amended in order to include in the definition of "child trafficking", the recruitment, indoctrination, and immersion of children in communist-insurgent movements and activities.

SLIDE 26 (RA 9372)

Also, it is important to amend RA 9372 or the Human Security Act, by including within the ambit of the definition of "terrorism", any criminal act committed pursuant to a subversive dogma, in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand.

Equally necessary is the amendment to RA 7941 or the Party List System Act by mandating the outright refusal or cancellation of registration of any national, regional, or sectoral party, organization or coalition that advocates subversive dogma, and pursuant thereof, undertakes criminal acts towards this goal.

SLIDE 27 (OTHER LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS)

In addition to the aforementioned amendments, we must institutionalize the preventive measures that would protect the youth from being recruited as members of revolutionary organizations.

SLIDE 28 (DepEd Memorandum)

Moreover, DepEd Memorandum Order 66, Series of 2017, that regulates co-curricular and extra-curricular off campus activities, providing penalties in case of violation thereof, must be also institutionalized.

SLIDE 29 (SUPPORT TASK FORCE)

And lastly, it is essential to support the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict created under Executive Order 70 by providing the necessary funds for the implementation of its programs.

These proposals, hopefully, will address the urgent issues at hand, and will add another layer of protection for the Filipino youth.

We are also encouraged, Mr. President, by the fact that after the hearings conducted by the Committee, there were a series of successful operations done by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, retrieving several minors who had already been recruited by the leftist groups. The minors were found in the midst of ammunition and explosives, and not to mention a strong atmosphere of resistance and rebellion. If there is to be a noble end to these operations and this retrieval, Mr. President, it is that they underscore the need to protect our youth, or better yet, the need to become better parents and guardians to our youth.

SLIDE 30 (FILIPINO YOUTH)

As Chairman of your Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, I humbly submit this report to you my dear colleagues, as I beg you to join me in this crusade in saving our youth from the snares of the duplicitous and deceptive leftist groups who use our youth for violent ends. Think of your own children, nephews and nieces, or even the ordinary children you see on the streets, who are all potential victims of recruitment by these revolutionary organizations and their leaders. Yes, we share our children to the world for them to explore what lies beyond the corners of our homes and schools. But we always provide protective shields for them so that they will not to be taken advantage of, and have their own freedom snatched away from them.

The lives of our youth are worth our sacrifices. Let us lead them to the right path. Let us teach them how to choose their battles wisely, to fight the kind of battles that build up humanity, rather than those that destroy and eat away at the fabric of our communities. Let our fight be their guide, today and in the years to come.

SLIDE 31 (SAGOT KITA)

Maraming salamat po.