The Romeo Nanta Command-New People’s Army (RNC-NPA) issued a scathing criticism on the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recently launched “Army Literacy Patrol System,” targeting residents in the hinterland communities of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

While deceptively packaged as an educational initiative, Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, the spokesperson of RNC-NPA, firmly argues the program is a “Trojan horse” designed to facilitate military surveillance, peddle black propaganda, and further traumatize vulnerable populations in Negros.

Historically, repressive state apparatuses like the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) have weaponized “civic actions” to infiltrate remote areas. Through these programs, the military peddles black propaganda to vilify the struggle for basic rights, equating grassroots activism with “terrorism” while simultaneously whitewashing their own bloody record of human rights violations.

Most alarmingly, this program exploits the innocence of children and youth, turning them into unwitting source of intelligence. This follows a pattern seen in other regions, such as Cebu, where “exams” reportedly included leading questions like: “There are NPAs in our area. True or False?”

“The military has no business in an educational setting. They do not intend to teach the residents how to read or write. Instead, they only seek to indoctrinate a culture which normalizes oppression and blind obedience,” stated Magbuelas.

He added that these efforts serve a singular, sinister goal: to create a climate of fear and isolate the masses from organizing for their own socio-economic and political interests—the very issues that constitute the root causes of the armed conflict.

Magbuelas also emphasized the stark hypocrisy of the AFP; they posture as “heroes” of the people while remaining the primary perpetrators of violence in the region.

Recent years have seen a surge in military operations in the Himamaylan hinterlands, characterized by a systematic campaign of harassment and intimidation against civilian populations. This state-sponsored violence includes indiscriminate firing within civilian zones that have displaced hundreds of families and shattered the peace of the countryside. Without doubt, the constant presence of these known abusers in the heart of the communities induces severe anxiety and lasting trauma among children and women.

In response to these incursions, the Red fighters and cadres of the RNC-NPA, alongside the masses of South Central Negros, demand the immediate withdrawal of military forces from civilian communities. They specifically demand the evacuation of military troops harboring in public institutions, including schools and churches.

Furthermore, they call on DepEd to assert its mandate and protect the sanctity of educational spaces from military interference.

“True literacy is the ability to understand one’s rights and the courage to defend them. The AFP’s program seeks to do the opposite—to silence dissent and normalize the presence of the very boots that have trampled on the people’s rights for decades,” Magbuelas concluded.