AFP campus tour in Masbate deepens ‘militarization’ of schools, violates DepEd order

NAGA CITY – The Pawican National High School (PNHS) in Cataingan, Masbate announced on social media last week its resolve to empower students against “threats” in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Empowering our students with knowledge and awareness to make informed decisions and stay safe,” stated in PNHS’ official Facebook page on the concluded symposium on Sept. 22.

The same symposium was also held at Cataingan National High School (CNHS), Brgy. Poblacion, Cataingan on Sept. 15.

PNHS and CNHS were among the Masbate schools selected for the campus tour of the 2nd Infantry Battalion (IB) of the 9th Infantry Division (ID), focusing on sensitive topics like the “CPP-NPA Deceptive Recruitment.”

Teacher groups, however, were alarmed at this deceptive AFP campus tour which they believe would only deepen militarization of schools and has already violated DepEd Order 44, s. 2005, declaring schools as zones of peace.

Activities such as campus tours, awareness seminars, or symposia conducted by the military are not innocent or simple educational engagements, according to ACT Bicol Union, emphasizing the DepEd Order.

“Behind them lies the silent but dangerous practice of red-tagging, and intimidation that causes fear, apprehension, and violation of the human rights of teachers, students, and school staff,” ACT Bicol Union President Roque Lamadrid said.

Schools as zones of peace

DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2005 seeks to implement Republic Act No. 7610 known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act”. According to the order, it is the state’s responsibility and all other concerned sectors to resolve armed conflicts toward promoting zones of peace.

All concerned personnel at the DepEd are mandated to make all schools a place where children can receive utmost security and peace. Meanwhile, DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2019 mandates the DepEd to uphold human rights, peace-building, and child protection in all educational spaces.

“The DepEd order was issued to uphold the civilian and peaceful character of schools and to protect learners from the trauma and intimidation associated with the presence of armed personnel,” Lamadrid said.

According to ACT Bicol Union, the DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2019 states that: “The use of school premises by the military for civic action, including medical and dental missions, symposia, and other public service activities, is prohibited unless in response to natural disasters or emergencies where civil authorities require such assistance.”

“DepEd’s own policies state that the military should have no place inside schools. By allowing the AFP campus tour, DepEd is blatantly violating its own mandate to protect the rights and welfare of the youth,” ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua said.

Collaboration” between DepEd, AFP

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines denounced the approval by the Schools Division of Masbate on the AFP’s campus tour, allowing the military to instill fear within schools.

On September 3, AFP Commanding Officer LTC Lazaro Quigao Jr. requested the Schools Division of Masbate for the support and collaboration of DepEd in launching its campus tour within the schools in the province.

Masbate Province Schools Division Superintendent Raymundo M. Cantonjos approved the request of the AFP on September 8, reminding them to adhere to the DepEd’s guidelines on safety, gender sensitivity, and parental consent for all the activities.

“This is part of a disturbing pattern. From the profiling of ALS learners last month to the extent of military entering the schools today, it is clear that DepEd is allowing education to become a vehicle for a militaristic agenda. Soldiers have no place in our schools,” Quetua said.

ACT repeated its September 2 warning against DepEd’s order to profile Alternative Learning System learners in “cleared barangays” for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), calling it a grave threat to student rights and safety.

The group said that the Masbate campus tour is the same policy in practice which exposes students to militarist propaganda in the guise of protection. “The entry of armed state forces into schools gravely undermines academic freedom and violates students’ right to education in a safe and nurturing environment,” ACT said.

ACT warned that this so-called collaboration between the DepEd and the AFP is part of the broader red-tagging campaign under the NTF-ELCAC which has a long record of endangering teachers, students, and whole communities.

“We strongly remind everyone that schools must remain safe spaces for free thought, discussion, and learning and should not be turned into spaces of militarization or black propaganda. The role of schools is to shape the critical thinking of youth, not to silence it under threat,” Lamadrid said.

“If the government is serious about protecting youth, ilaan ang pondo sa guro, klasrum, at libro—hindi sa pananakot at panlilinlang (allocate the funds for teachers, classrooms, and books – not in instilling fear and deception). DepEd must withdraw its approval of the AFP campus tour and stop being complicit in the militarization of our schools,” Quetua added.

The recent reports of police and military intrusion in public schools in Masbate are not isolated to the province as there are also cases in other provinces in the Bicol region, according to Kabataan Partylist Bicol (KPLB). [ https://tinyurl.com/mr2e2z7s ]

“From the harassment experienced by the students of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) in Bicol University, to the continued surveillance of youths across the region, and now to the militarization of schools in Masbate, what is clear is that the state is systematically targeting students, educators, and schools,” KPLB said. “This alarming incident mirrors the pattern of state forces entering academic institutions under the guise of “awareness seminars” and “campus tours,” when in truth these are thinly veiled acts of intimidation, red-tagging, and surveillance.”

“Instead of prioritizing disaster response, rehabilitation, and genuine solutions to poverty, the government pours public funds into programs of surveillance, red-tagging, and militarization of our communities and schools,” Nic Valencia of KPLB said. “Schools are not barracks. Students are not enemies of the state.” (RTS, DAA)

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