Go seeks answers to missing students mystery

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go is seeking answers regarding the two “missing” students allegedly recruited by leftist groups, as the Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs and on national defense and security jointly tackled the issue yesterday.

Go sits as vice chair of both committees. During a Senate hearing last week, parents of five senior high school students from various universities lamented that their children had gone missing to join leftist groups, such as Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Kabataan party-list.

One of the parents, Relissa Lucena, said that she enrolled her daughter at a private university precisely to keep her away from leftist groups. However, on the first week of classes, she was told by her daughter that she was already a member of Anakbayan and would attend rallies.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa opened the session by discussing the cases of the deaths of student activists and emphasizing the nature of organizations they were members of, such as Anakbayan, LFS, Gabriela Youth and Kabataan. 

Meanwhile, Go recounted his experience with President Duterte, then Davao City mayor, in the retrieval of hostages in the mountains from communist rebels. He said it was something he and mayor Duterte worked on together for “around 50 times.”

Go also noted that some of the student protesters visible at rallies in the streets are the same ones who go to the mountains, neglecting their studies and putting their lives in danger. “Wag tayo magkunwari (let’s not pretend),” Go said. 

“Base lang po sa aking experience, alam naman natin na halos lahat ng nasa taas na sinasabi niyo nasa eskwelahan, kadalasan aktibista at nasa daan nagra-rally (Based on my experience, we all know that many of those up there that you say are in school are actually activists who join street rallies),” Go said.

Go then went on to ask how these students are convinced to join leftist groups. 

“Ang tanong, bakit kayo nakukumbinsi? Paano sila nakukumbinsi? Bakit sila nag-aaral sa urban areas at nakukumbinsi na umakyat sa bundok? Until now, ‘yun talaga ang nangyayari (My question is why and how did you get convinced and why after studying in urban areas you got convinced to go to the hills?)”

Alvin Turero, one of the former leftist members present during the hearing, said that poor students join leftist groups because they are promised scholarships at the University of the Philippines or the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

“Bilang organizer ng Kabataan Party, makukuha namin based po dun sa kahirapan upang mapaaral sila sa UP o PUP. Nasusundot po namin sila doon (As organizer of the Kabataan Party, we make them believe that we can send them to UP to PUP. That’s how we tricked them),” he said.