BANCASI, Butuan City – A total of 604 elementary and secondary teachers had disaffiliated and withdrew their support from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and committed to prevent the Communist Terrorist Group’s (CTG’s) youth recruitment during the seminar on National Security Concerns and Disaffiliation from ACT held at Agusan National High School, Butuan City on May 06, 2021.
Said seminar was spearheaded by NICA 10 thru the Situational Awareness and Knowledge Management (SAKM) Cluster in partnership with the DepEd Caraga, PRO13 and 402nd Brigade. It was conducted in two (2) batches composed of 254 and 350 teachers for the morning and afternoon sessions, respectively, belonging to the Central Butuan District of Butuan City Division of the Department of Education (DepEd). The activity aimed to enlighten the teachers on the deceptive nature and strategy of the CTG and exposed the CTG’s Legal Front Organizations particularly the ACT that infiltrates the academe sector.
In attendance during the activity were Director Manuel M Orduna, Regional Director of NICA10; Director Evelyn R Fetalvero, Regional Director of DepEd 13; PCol Canilo A Fuentes, City Director of Butuan City Police Office; PCol Ruben Delos Santos, Chief Regional Community Affairs and Development Division of PRO13; and Brigadier General Maurito L Licudine, Commander of the 402nd Brigade.
Director Orduna discussed the salient points of EO70 to provide a background of the efforts of Task Force ELCAC particularly the SAKM Cluster in implementing the Whole of Nation Approach (WNA) to address the insurgency problem. After which, NICA Deputy Regional Director Virginita Zamoro provided a lecture entitled: Orientation for Parents and Teachers on How the CTG Recruit the Youths to enable the teachers understand how the CTG infiltrates the different sectors particularly in the academe and among the youths in schools, colleges and universities.
After the lecture, Louie Fuentes alias Marmar, a former Political Officer, of GF88 operating in Agusan del Sur, delivered his testimony and confirmed the CTG’s infiltration in the different sectors to include the teachers by the ACT Party-List organization. He said, “Tinood man ang koneksyon ng ACT sa NPA kay naa may dual tactics ang mga CPP-NPA-NDF. Ilahang gamiton ang mga isyu arun makaorganisa og makakuha og mga myembro sa ilang lutaw nga organisasyon nga nagpaka arun-ingnun nga legal pero diay naglihok ilawum pud sa underground movement organization nga parte sa NDF o National Democratic Front”. Marmar cited his experience when leaders of the Legal Front Organizations went to their hideouts during meetings.
No less than the designated/appointed ACT Chairman of Butuan City, Mr Rey Collado, the public school District Supervisor of South West District of Butuan City Division of DepEd, led the disaffiliation from the ACT and in the Pledge and Signing of Commitment ceremony during the said seminar.
Mr Collado declared that the ACT is directly connected with the CPP-NPA-NDF based on the validated and affirmed information. “I am very thankful with the information because we can’t afford to be with an organization who go against our government. Never, never, never in my wildest dream that I will rebel against my beloved country. Today, with the teachers of Central Butuan District 1, I/we will denounce any affiliation, connection, association with the ACT. That we are sincere and true to our oath of allegiance to our government as civil servants”, Mr Collado emotionally said.
After which, Mr Collado led all teachers in pledging disaffiliation and condemnation to the CTG and the ACT. “I condemn the Communist Terrorist Group or CTG for their acts of terrorism. I also condemn all its aboveground or front organizations like the Alliance of Concerned Teachers or ACT. I will not join or if I had been a member of ACT on my own volition or have become a member thereof without my knowledge of its true hideous nature, I will disaffiliate myself therefrom”.
Meanwhile, during the question and answer portion, Mr Joseph Maestrado, Master Teacher III of Butuan Elementary School, openly confessed that he even briefly joined a rally when he went to Manila with the ACT but later recognized that it was not a DepEd- sanctioned activity. “We were fetched by a jeepney and brought to a rally area. Gihatagan mi ug placards pag naog, but realizing na dili sakto nga pamaagi og dili mao ang akong gusto mahitabo, nidagan ko og nitago”, said Mr Maestrado on his experience with the ACT.
Same sentiments were also expressed by other teachers citing that they were lured and deceived in joining the ACT through the supposedly benefits they were supporting for the teachers. “We don’t really know about the ACT being connected with the CPP-NPA-NDF. We were deceived”, said Ms Hazel T Bayados of Agusan National High School.
In his statement, Brigadier General Licudine congratulated the SAKM cluster led by NICA10 and PRO13 in facilitating the said seminar and exposing the truth about the CTG and their sectoral front organizations, “This activity is another proof that we, the government and the TF-ELCAC, need to step up the information campaign to all sectors so that we could reach those who are unaware that they’ve been used already or deceived out of issues related to them. Because our worry is that teachers or even other professions could be recruited and be the ones facilitating the CTG recruitment in their schools or in their workplaces”.
“We call to all sectors to be wary about these organizations linked with the CTG. Connect with us, the PNP or NICA, and we shall provide you the correct information. We are hoping that there are still other sectors who will emulate what the teachers have done in disaffiliating themselves with the CTG legal front organizations because it is only when we are unified thru the whole of nation approach, that we can easily defeat the CTG and end the insurgency problem”, BGen Licudine stressed.
