LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The State-run Benguet State University (BSU) urged the National Task Force to End local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) to substantiate its report that the higher education institution has been identified as one of the centers of recruitment of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA) to help the management in re-strategizing its prevailing systems to prevent the university to be a breeding ground of communist rebels.
BSU president Dr. Felipe S. Comila stated that it is unfortunate that the state university was included by the NTF-ELCAC) as one of the higher education institutions where massive recruitment of communist rebels is being done by the CPP’s front organizations but what is important is for the same to be substantiated by providing the institution with the list of individuals who are directly and indirectly involved on the aforesaid sensitive matter.
The BSU official underscored that the institution does not tolerate such prohibited activities because of its impact to safety and security but it should also be remembered that the country is a democratic State where individual ideologies deserve utmost respect.
Earlier, the NTF-ELCAC identified the University of the Philippines College Baguio, BSU and Ifugao State University (IFSU) as among the State-run higher education institutions where massive recruitment of members of the CPP-NPA is being done by the front organizations of the communist movement.
Comila assured police and military authorities that the present BSU administration is willing to work with them for the identification of the personalities involved in the aforesaid matter to allow the university to formulate appropriate strategies that will prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future.
According to him, students are being trained and molded physically, emotionally, socially and morally upright through the various learning programs but the institution is still open to suggestions and recommendations from concerned sectors on how to prevent the institution from being red tagged.
He added that the BSU is also doing its own investigation on the matter to ascertain the groups and individuals that are involved on such recruitment to guide the present administration on what future steps to undertake to prevent the occurrence of such illegal activities inside the premises of the state university.
Comila stipulated that the institution will never undermine the principles of democracy and will simply adhere to the same, thus, efforts are being done to police their own ranks to avoid the university from being red tagged by the national task force for whatever purpose.
The BSU president urged groups and individuals who continue to do their recruitment activities to be part of the communist movement to spare the students of the school from such activities because what they want is for the youth to be molded as responsible and dedicated citizens of the country.
BSU has 3 campuses that are located in the capital town, Buguias and Bokod that offer various higher education programs for the youth to be able to acquire a higher level of education.
By HENT
