Student alliance ONE Ubelt along with youth groups gathered in cultural night event in España Avenue in Manila to oppose the threat of militarization among schools and communities, a day before International Students’ Day.
Various performances, painting activities, and the distribution of flyers and reading materials were also conducted to raise awareness to fellow students and youth.
The alliance further asserted their opposition to the collaboration between Coordinating Council for Private Educational Association (COCOPEA) and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) as well as the railroading of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) under the Marcos Jr. administration.
Last November 8, NTF-ELCAC undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. announced the approval of Marcos Jr. in the inclusion of COCOPEA into the task force as one of the two representatives from the private sector.
NTF-ELCAC also made the usual red-tagging claims and narrative that there are “terror-grooming” activities and organizations within schools linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Campus militarization
League of Filipino Students National Capital Region (LFS – NCR) reported on the recent escalation of military and police personnel in Metro Manila schools.
A database compiled by LFS-NCR highlights various cases of campus militarization. A total of 19 activities have been held in schools since last year, including agreement partnerships and youth or peace summits in cooperation with the NTF-ELCAC, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and local government units (LGUs).
For instance, the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) College of Dentistry signed a Declaration of Cooperation with the AFP in May 2023, which drew criticism and sparked fear among students and several personnel in the academe.
Meanwhile, the so-called peace summits have also resurfaced which featured speakers from the AFP and alleged rebel returnees. These summits further claim to discuss topics on peace and national security but instead conduct red-tagging claims against progressive groups and organizations.
Militarization in schools have been reported since the implementation of Executive Order No. 70 under the Duterte administration in 2018. This order led to the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC to enforce a whole-of-nation approach for counterinsurgency efforts in both urban and rural areas.
In the NCR, urban poor communities and schools became focal points of the NTF-ELCAC’s initiatives, usually partnered with school administrations, LGU, and other agencies. Such activities are disguised as aid programs, livelihood support, peace summits, and even safe space consortiums.
| Date | School | Type of Military Instrusion | Details |
| 2023 | |||
| May 10 | UP Manila | MOA | The UP College of Dentistry signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. |
| August 24 | UP Manila | Military presence | A black van bearing the Department of National Defense and Balikatan logos was spotted and photographed inside the university compound, serving as a vehicle for a professor from the College of Public Health. |
| September | TUP Manila | Military personnel were reportedly seen within TUP premises under the university’s ROTC program. An official from the TUP NSTP Office initiated an intelligence report. | |
| October 23, 24 | TUP Manila | A military truck was seen inside TUP during the 2023 Philippine ROTC Games. | |
| November 3 | Marikina | Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina (PLMar) and Marikina DepEd signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Marikina PNP and DILG Marikina to implement the MarPEACE program (Marikina Promoting Empowerment and Active Community Engagement): Orientation on Insurgency and Violent Extremism. | |
| Nov 7-10 | Concepcion Elementary School, Brgy. Concepcion Uno | Redtagging seminar | The MarPEACE program was conducted at Concepcion Elementary School, attended by high school guidance counselors and SSG advisers. |
| Nov 8 | Kabataan Kontra Droga At Terorismo Marikina City Chapter | Redtagging seminar | The MarPEACE program was launched at Marikina Convention Center, led by Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo Marikina City Chapter under PCPT Greco Gonzales SCADS and PCOL Earl Castillo, MCPS. |
| Nov 8 | Schools Division Office ng Marikina | Redtagging seminar | The program was also launched at the Schools Division Office of Marikina, attended by SELG teacher advisers, with speeches from DILG Director Mary Jane Navario, PCOL Chief of Police Earl Castillo, and Philippine Army Chief Ariel Tormes. |
| Nov 9 | PLMarikina | Redtagging seminar | The MarPEACE program was conducted at PLMar, featuring NTF-ELCAC agent Danmer “Dan” Cayabyab and PCOL Earl Castillo, known for red-tagging mass organizations. Student leaders from various degree programs, including Business Administration, Criminology, and Education, were made to attend. |
| 2024 | |||
| January 31 | UP Manila | A keynote lecture by Dr. Atul Gawande, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health, titled “How Filipinos Can Live Longer,” was held at Ramon Ang Auditorium, Henry Sy Sr. Hall, UP College of Medicine, UP Manila. | |
| February 26 | UP Manila | A 6×6 military vehicle with a Philippine Air Force logo was seen at the Henry Sy Sr. Medical Sciences Building as part of a blood-letting activity organized by a university fraternity | |
| March 20 | TUP Manila | Uniformed police entered TUP premises without permission, stayed inside, and used university facilities. | |
| May 3 | UP Manila | The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, UP Manila College of Public Health, met with representatives from the Philippine Army to collaborate on occupational health and safety. | |
| August 8 | CHED | CHED Chairman Popoy de Vera participated in NTF-ELCAC activities. | |
| August 8 | UP | The University of the Philippines signed a Declaration of Cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. | |
| September 3 | QCU | A Youth Leadership Summit hosted by Quezon City University in partnership with NICA’s Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan turned into a red-tagging seminar against mass organizations | |
| September 24 | PNU | The “kaPEACEtahan sa PNU” peace forum, organized by OPAPRU and PNU-GCC, featured Retired AFP Major-General Edgardo De Leon, who red-tagged mass organizations. | |
| September 28 | PWU | A book launch was held at Conrado Benitez Hall for LTC Celesta Frank L. Sayson’s book, Human-Centered Security and Development Approach: An SDG in an Insurgency Situation. | |
| November 8 | PLValenzuela | An Anti-Terror Symposium was conducted at PLV, led by the AFP and PNP. | |
| November 12 | UP Manila | The UP Drugs of Abuse Research Laboratory held a marker unveiling event at the UP College of Pharmacy, attended by about 120 guests, including representatives from the Dangerous Drugs Board, PDEA, and PNP. | |
LFS-NCR said that the collection of data remains ongoing. The group also called for the cooperation of students and mass organizations to fill in their database following the growing encroachment of military and police in schools which raises concerns over academic freedom.
Educators and advocates slam COCOPEA’s partnership with NTF-ELCAC
Prominent educators and advocates have expressed strong opposition to the COCOPEA in collaboration with the NTF-ELCAC.
In a petition released by Scholars for Peace, ACT Private Schools, and Academics Unite for Human Rights and Democracy, signatories condemned the partnership as “misguided and self-defeating,” citing the NTF-ELCAC’s track record of red-tagging and harassment within the education sector.
“Since its establishment in 2018, the NTF-ELCAC has engaged in rabid red-tagging that has targeted a lot of stakeholders from the education sector, such as students, teachers, teachers’ unions/associations and school administrators. Entire academic institutions, including private schools, have been targets of red-tagging due to the persistent insinuations of NTF-ELCAC officials that schools and universities are the preferred recruitment spots of the Communist Party of the Philippines,” it said in the petition.
They also noted the “Red October” controversy in 2018, where the AFP implicated 18 Metro Manila schools, including private universities, in an alleged plot to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte. The supposed evidence presented included activities such as film screenings on martial law abuses, which NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Gen. Antonio Parlade claimed were intended to incite rebellion.
Despite the lacking of substantial evidence, the NTF-ELCAC has neither retracted nor apologized for such accusations
“The NTF-ELCAC’s existence runs counter to the principles of critical thinking and democratic governance—foundations of a thriving education system,” the petition stated.
“Our schools are already grappling with structural problems, from resource shortages to declining academic performance. The climate of fear created by NTF-ELCAC only exacerbates these challenges,” it added.
The petitioners further emphasized that private school administrators and COCOPEA should focus on fostering environments where students can excel in both curricular and co-curricular pursuits, free from fear and intimidation.
They also highlighted two key demands, urging administrators, teachers, and students to form a united front to safeguard academic institutions from state interference:
1. the revocation of COCOPEA’s inclusion into the NTF-ELCAC; and,
2. the abolishment of the NTF-ELCAC, a move supported by many groups in civil society and by the United Nations Special Rapporteurs for Freedom of Expression and Climate Change and Human Rights.
Signatories were from major academic institutions such as Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, St. Scholastica’s College Manila, Far Eastern University, University of the Philippines, and Mindanao State University
