“Bato” hit over remarks encouraging red-tagging

CEBU, Philippines — The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) and Akbayan Youth condemned Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s call for guidance counselors to profile students in their schools that are "prone to NPA recruitment".

“Schools should be safe communities for students, teachers, staff, and the administration. Profiling students will lead only to red-tagging and discrimination, endangering the students' lives. It's a burden that should never be borne by guidance counselors, teachers, parents, and especially the students whose education will be affected,” said SCAP in a statement.

The group said that they do not want the New People's Army (NPA) and other armed groups to recruit in schools.

Instead of encouraging red-tagging, SCAP urged the senator to work on solving the education crisis in the country and ensure that students’ rights are protected.

“If only senators like Bato Dela Rosa focus on solving the education crisis, upholding students' rights and academic freedom, and ensuring that students get to finish their education and contribute to the community,” they said.

The group disagrees with dela Rosa’s idea of forcing guidance counselors to turn against the students.

“Will profiling students increase our literacy rate? Will it help ease the workload of our teachers and admin? Will making guidance counselors suspicious of students make schools safer? The decades-long still ongoing crisis in education requires a serious response to ensure that all students receive a quality education and have a chance for a better future,” the group added.

SCAP has called on the Filipino youth and students to join in their collective struggle and resistance against the education crisis and in defending defending students' rights, upholding academic freedom, and combatting student profiling which only leads to red-tagging and discrimination, endangering students' lives and school communities.

In a recent hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, dela Rosa made a public pronouncement urging schools guidance counselors to conduct a profiling of students that are vulnerable for recruitment by the rebel group. –/FPL (FREEMAN)