Reds hit military training of Lumads

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 9): Reds hit military training of Lumads

The New People’s Army (NPA) decried the action of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s 10th Infantry Division to bring in Lumad fighters after the army announced earlier this month it would be training indigenous peoples into its army.

In a statement, Rigoberto Sanchez, NPA spokesperson for the regional operations command of the Southern Mindanao Region, called the move “highly despicable” and demanded that the military back off from recruiting the Lumads.

Sanchez said that recruiting Lumads into counter-insurgency will exploit the Lumad youth.

The AFP had announced it would be arming and training 300 Lumad youths from Davao, Cotabato, and Socskargen regions.

“The move is a desperate attempt of the AFP to score military points in the battlefield where its troops are required to have mastery of terrain, high tolerance for sacrifice and to exhibit innate courage – attributes that they sorely lack and want to exploit from the Lumad youth,” Sanchez said.

The rebel group said it was tasteless of the national government to recruit members of indigenous groups who were allegedly abused by the military.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/09/reds-hit-military-training-of-lumads/