/PNA
MANILA — An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday the department is closely working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to monitor community schools reported as “breeding grounds” for future members of New People’s Army (NPA).
“We are closely working with the AFP because this is not just an issue of education, national security also,” DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said in an ambush interview.
Sevilla added DepEd will make sure that all schools, especially the community schools in far-flung areas, have permits to operate to ensure “proper regulation and control over the management of such institutions”.
Meanwhile, Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs office chief, told Philippine News Agency (PNA) that there could be a possibility that some DepEd officials and personnel were threatened by the NPA to allow the operation of Salugpungan schools in the Davao Region.
“We are monitoring them, and we are banking on the actions to be taken by the DepEd to resolve this matter,” Detoyato said.
