OFFICIALS of the Kalinga State University (KSU) have voluntarily pulled out from its library handbooks supplied previously by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in order to ‘educate’ students of the teachings of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, officials told the Journal Group on Tuesday.

The KSU decision to remove said books from their book gallery was reached after the Philippine government thru the Anti-Terrorism Council declared the NDFP and the CPP /NPA as a terrorist organization last May.

The CPP/NPA was also declared as a ‘terror group’ in December 2020.

Cordillera Police Regional Office director, Brigadier General Ronald O. Lee said that the CPP/NPA/NDF teaching materials were withdrawn from the KSU Library following a decision by the KSU-Bulanao Campus University Board of Regents.

The KSU officials said they also wanted to spare students and the youth from possible CPP/NPA recruitment. KSU was the first state-run university to pull out from its library purported rebel teaching materials.

The teaching materials pulled out from the KSU Library and turned over to local police and Army authorities include books on CARHRIL (Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Law) English-Filipino; CARHRIL English-Hiligaynon; CARHRIL English-Visaya;. Declaration of Understanding;

NDFP declaration and program of action for the rights, protection, and welfare of Children;

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines-NDFP Peace Negotiations’ Major Arguments and Joint Statements September 1, 1980 – June 2018; the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations’ major written agreements and outstanding issues; NDF Adherence to International Humanitarian Law; letters to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN secretary general; NDFP adherence to international humanitarian law: on Prisoners of War (POWs); two articles on the peoples struggles for just peace; and the NDFP reciprocal worrying committee (RWC) respective on Social & Economics Reforms.

KSU is state-funded university whose main campus based in Tabuk, Kalinga province is mandated to provide advance institutions in arts, agricultural and natural sciences as well as in technological and professional fields.

The KSU decision came in the wake of another move by the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council and Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee to launch their’ Dumanun Makituntung’ program to help the government put an end to the more than five-decades old communist insurgency by convincing more NPA members and their supporters to yield and support the nation’s peacebuilding efforts.

‘Dumanun Makituntung’ are Ilocano words for ‘visit and discuss’ which the Cordillera RPOC and RLECC envisions to be implemented across the region as part of their joint effort to help address the communist problem thru peace dialogues with identified members of Communist Front Organizations or CFOs.

The Cordillera RPOC headed by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong approved the adoption of the Cordillera RLECC’s resolution for multi – sectoral groups to conduct peace dialogues with members of CFOs in the region in line with the whole-of-nation approach to end local armed conflict.

In its Resolution, the Cordillera RLECC agreed that members of law enforcement agencies together with representatives of local government units, religious sector and non -government organizations are enjoined to conduct “Dumanun Makitungtung” strategy to known members of CFOs in the region.

The program calls for multi-sectoral teams to conduct house visitation of known members or supporters of the CPP/NDF/NPA in the region and plea for them, with utmost courtesy and respect for human rights, to stop dealing with or supporting the rebel movement. Peace and Order Councils of different provinces and highly-urbanized cities in the region have been enjoined to fully support the program.

The same RPOC and RLECC resolutions have been forwarded to the

Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict and the National Peace and Order Council through the Department of the Interior and Local Government for possible replication across the country.

Philippine National Police chief, Director General Guillemro Lorenzo T. Eleazar thanked the Cordillera RPOC and RLECC chaired by Brig. Gen. Lee for coming up with the noble strategy which is expected to pave the way for the surrender of more NPA personalities in the region.

Last June and July alone, the Cordillera police said that 63 NPA members have surrendered to police and military authorities in the region and also turned over 37 firearms and 13 explosives which could be used to kill or maim more government and civilian targets. The number may double or triple as a result of the ‘Dumanun Makituntung’ program, said Lee.