Ano says communists ‘brainwashing’ youth

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano has denounced the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) for “brainwashing” young Filipinos.The statement came three days after former Bayan Muna congressman Satur Ocampo and Rep. Francisca Castro of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list were arrested for alleged child trafficking in Davao del Norte.Ano said in a statement the CPP-NPA and their communist front organisations were brainwashing the Filipino youth to sympathise with them and fight the government “in guise of nationalism and humanitarian missions.”“We do not condone such reprehensible behaviour against minors and condemn the communists and their allies for their sins against the youth such as kidnapping, child trafficking and other illegal treatment of children,” the chief of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) added.Ocampo, Castro and 72 others were arrested in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, on November 28 for allegedly kidnapping 14 minors whom police said were made to form part of a “solidarity mission convoy.”According to the police, they arrested Ocampo and the others after tribesmen in the convoy complained that the former lawmaker and his companions were taking away their children to bring them to a lumad (indigenous people) school without the parents’ permission.Another ACT congressman, Antonio Tinio, said the Ocampo group was attacked by members of the paramilitary group known as Alamara.Instead of arresting the attackers, the police brought members of the group to the Talaingod Police Station where they were detained, Tinio said.Ano said they “strongly condemn all forms of child trafficking and exploitation in the country and will make certain that all those guilty of these abhorrent acts against the vulnerable and innocent will face the full judgment of the rule of law.”Ocampo and his group are facing charges of child abuse, exploitation and discrimination under Republic Act 7610.Ocampo’s wife, Carolina Malay, decried the arrest of her husband and members of his group. “My husband was doing what he believes to be right, the way the Duterte administration is going about governing, it really shows people the severe limitations of the system, it’s exposing the deep flaws in our governance, can we see due process there?” Malay told Manila Times.Commission on Human Rights chairman Chito Gascon supported Malay.“We will co-ordinate with the lawyers, we call on the government to ensure that their rights as accused are being protected, and they are given the opportunity to present their case,” Gascon said.