13-35 year-olds, main target of CPP-NPA recruitment

From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 18, 2020): 13-35 year-olds, main target of CPP-NPA recruitment (By Jan Vincent Leuterio)

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Dec. 18 (PIA) – The CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army)’s main target of recruitment are young people of age range 13-35 years old as found out by the 10th Civil Military Operation (CMO) Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division, Philippine Army.

During the BIDA-Ambisyon Natin-ELCAC youth forum on Dec. 11, 10th CMO Battalion operations Officer, Captain Angelo M. Peralta, said that the youth are the most sought-after recruits by the rebellion because they are “open-minded, aggressive, adventurous, strong and physically fit”.

“In its early days, most of the support came from the youth sector. Ito yung dapat nating ma-iwasan, kaya dapat nating malaman kung paano na re-recruit ang mga kabataan (This is what we need to avoid, that’s why we need to know how the youth are recruited),” he added.

According to Peralta, the rebellion formed the Kabataang Makabayan for its youth members to stage peaceful rallies against the government; however, it turned to terroristic activities over the years and it became the major source of recruits of the NPA.

He explained that the recruitment is a “deception process” that starts with the recruiter or spotter befriending a prospect and inviting them to join meetings, workshops, and seminars where they identify the prospect’s strength, weakness, and interest.

From there, the recruit is encouraged to join different assemblies where they will be brain-washed by exposing them to social issues to slowly agitate them, then basic lessons for activism and other related NPA teachings are introduced.

The recruits will then become full-time activists, and among them are identified as potential candidate for the NPA.

After becoming a candidate member, the recruits will receive basic military course, and basic mass integration and organizational activities while they perform higher tasks such as agitating during rallies and protests, and coordinating with schools.

From there, they will officially become full-time members of the NPA, whereafter they can proceed to become full-time members of the CPP.

For the CPP’s target of recruitment, the youth sector, it includes students, out-of-school youths, young workers, young peasants, young teachers, young professionals, and all other major men and women who compose the majority of the population.

The BIDA-Ambisyon Natin-ELCAC youth forum was a half-day youth forum organized by Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Davao del Norte and Provincial Information Communication and Knowledge Management Office (PICKMO) on December 11, 2020.

It featured three learning sessions on BIDA Solusyon: BIDA Bastonero/Bastonera, The Filipino Ambisyon Natin: Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na Buhay by year 2040; and E.O. 70 Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict and Understanding the CPP-NPA Scheme of Recruiting the Youth.

The presenters of the learning sessions were: Department of Health Region XI (DOH XI) Health Education and Promotion Officer, John Marco Pitlo, on BIDA Solusyon: BIDA Bastonero/Bastonera, National Economic and Development Authority Region XI (NEDA XI) Senior Economic Development Specialist, Ruth Lasquite, on The Filipino Ambisyon Natin 2014.

10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army Civil Military Operations Officer, Captain Angelo M. Peralta on E.O. 70 Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict and Understanding the CPP-NPA Scheme of Recruiting the Youth was also one of the presenters. (Jan Vincent Leuterio, PIA-XI)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1062079