TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 13 (PIA) – Three mothers of NPA recruits demanded to the NPAs, "stop deceiving our children."
Their call came after the arrest of the so called Tacloban 5 - the five young NPA recruits arrested in Tacloban for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
In a press conference at the PIA Regional Office 8, three mothers with their kids in varying degrees of involvement in the armed struggle turned emotional as they denounced the NPAs deceptive recruitment.
Annabelle Sabado
Annabelle Sabado, a single mom to Christian aka Chan-chan recalled how happy they were when her son passed the exams at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP).
Little did she know that Chan-chan was getting active in the leftist organization.
The mother noticed a change of behavior in her son.
There was a time when Chan-chan merely addressed her as Annabelle, adding "pare-pareho na tayo."
She added that her son lost love and respect for her mom. She alleged that her son has become disobedient.
MOTHERS ALL. Annabelle Sabado, mother of student activist-turned NPA cries as she relates how her son Chan-chan was recruited by a student organization and how she almost lost him. (Photo by Raul Tiozon)"Sa samahan nila, inaalis ang pamilya, inaalis ang Diyos sa puso't isipan nila." (In their org, they seem to cut-off their families, God, in their hearts and mind.)
"Hindi na sila nag-aaral, gusto nalang nilang lumaban." (They do not want to go to school, they just want to fight.)
Chan-chan went up the mountains.
The mother almost gave up on him, but one day, he came home, they talked where he learned that her son wanted to leave the org for good. But soon after, her comrades caught up with him again and prevailed.
In October 2019, security officials arrested her son and the same authorities informed her of her son's situation.
She flew to Las Navas, Northern Samar to reconcile with her son.
Presently, she said she came to Tacloban for the arraignment of her son and chanced upon the issues of Tacloban 5.
Gemma Labsan
Gemma’s only daughter was a senior high at UP Diliman, like Chan-chan she was unwittingly hooked up with the protest rallies of her youth organization.
Gemma Labsan heart is breaking with losing her only child to the movement. As a teacher she tells parents to make sure that their children join the proper organization that will encourage them to get an education and love their families. (Photo Raul Tiozon)
"Ipaglalaban ko siya dahil binuhos ko ang pagmamahal sa kanya, dahil nag-iisang anak ko siya." (I have loved her so much, she is my only child, I will fight for her.)
Visibly holding back her tears, she recalled too how her child, got mad with her close guarding.
Her child, she said was always in a bad mood, throwing tantrums, when not allowed to join government protests.
In July, last year, during the SONA, somehow, the girl managed to escape and joined her comrades in the rally.
It was there when she said, "nabawi ko ang aking anak."
Despite that her daughter is with her, she remains almost a stranger, ignoring her, a far-cry from being her loving daughter before.
But Gemma said she is not giving up on her, that is why she wants to reach to every parent who may have the same experience.
"Kahit na isinumpa ako, pipigilan ko sya dahil kaisa-isang anak ko siya." (Even if she hates me, I will still love her.)
To the legal front of the NPAs, she begged them to stop deceiving children to join their ranks.
To the parents, "Ginagawa na guerilya ang mga anak natin, ayaw naming maranasan ninyo ang sakit ng mga nangyari sa amin." (They are turning our children into warriors, we do not want you to suffer our pains.)
"Ang pagiging aktibista ay hindi masama ngunit huwag sana nilang pahawakin ng baril at gawing terorista ang mga bata." (Being an activist is not at all bad, but please do not arm them, do not turn them into terrorists.)
Elvie Caalaman
Elvie’s daughter is the Ate of her three younger siblings.
Elvie said that her daughter Lory has been recruited by the Kabataan partylist.
Like Gemma, Elvie also looked for her daughter at the rally during the SONA in 2019, but she said radicalization may have deeply seeped in her daughter that she left home for good.
To this day, she is still looking and longing for her daughter to come home.
Three Mothers and Hands Off Our Children
The three mothers who are all officers of the "Hands Off Our Children Movement" have bonded with the parents of other children who have also been recruited. They all defy and condemn what they brand as 'deceptive recruitment.'
At the highly populated Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) in Tacloban City, the three mothers appeared and talked to more than 500 students and renewed their appeal of not falling prey to the deceptive leftist recruitment.
Gemma said that their battlecry will continue to reach more areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
"Please do not touch our children, set them free, allow them to finish their education and live normal lives, hands-off our children!" (nbq/PIA-8)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1034553
Visibly holding back her tears, she recalled too how her child, got mad with her close guarding.
Her child, she said was always in a bad mood, throwing tantrums, when not allowed to join government protests.
In July, last year, during the SONA, somehow, the girl managed to escape and joined her comrades in the rally.
It was there when she said, "nabawi ko ang aking anak."
Despite that her daughter is with her, she remains almost a stranger, ignoring her, a far-cry from being her loving daughter before.
But Gemma said she is not giving up on her, that is why she wants to reach to every parent who may have the same experience.
"Kahit na isinumpa ako, pipigilan ko sya dahil kaisa-isang anak ko siya." (Even if she hates me, I will still love her.)
To the legal front of the NPAs, she begged them to stop deceiving children to join their ranks.
To the parents, "Ginagawa na guerilya ang mga anak natin, ayaw naming maranasan ninyo ang sakit ng mga nangyari sa amin." (They are turning our children into warriors, we do not want you to suffer our pains.)
"Ang pagiging aktibista ay hindi masama ngunit huwag sana nilang pahawakin ng baril at gawing terorista ang mga bata." (Being an activist is not at all bad, but please do not arm them, do not turn them into terrorists.)
Elvie Caalaman
Elvie’s daughter is the Ate of her three younger siblings.
Elvie said that her daughter Lory has been recruited by the Kabataan partylist.
Like Gemma, Elvie also looked for her daughter at the rally during the SONA in 2019, but she said radicalization may have deeply seeped in her daughter that she left home for good.
To this day, she is still looking and longing for her daughter to come home.
Three Mothers and Hands Off Our Children
The three mothers who are all officers of the "Hands Off Our Children Movement" have bonded with the parents of other children who have also been recruited. They all defy and condemn what they brand as 'deceptive recruitment.'
At the highly populated Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) in Tacloban City, the three mothers appeared and talked to more than 500 students and renewed their appeal of not falling prey to the deceptive leftist recruitment.
Gemma said that their battlecry will continue to reach more areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
"Please do not touch our children, set them free, allow them to finish their education and live normal lives, hands-off our children!" (nbq/PIA-8)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1034553
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