THE Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) said that they have been collaborating with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) to raise awareness about the “terror-grooming” in the country orchestrated by the members of the National People’s Army (NPA) that is presently happening.
Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea) and CEAP President Rev. Father Albert Delvo said during the 2024 National Convention Press Conference in Davao City on November 12 that the cooperation aims to shield young Filipinos from the perils of violent extremism and terror-grooming to achieve true peace and solidarity.
“Gooming,” according to Brunel University’s website occurs when someone builds a relationship of trust and an emotional connection with another person so they can manipulate, exploit, and abuse them, thus terror-grooming is when someone grooms another for terrorism purposes.
“We are engaging because NTF-Elcac is quite different from what it used to be in terms of directions and priorities. Now it emphasizes unity and harmony. We want peace to be based on justice,” the priest said, explaining that despite the agreement and partnership, the 1,500 CEAP members are firm on their vision that there should always be “academic freedom” and discouraging the government task force in red-tagging every religious academic institution in the country.
Earlier this month, NTF-Elcac conducted the 1st Colloquium on the Prevention of Terror Grooming and Violent Extremism. The event brought together academics, policymakers, students, and former rebels (FR) to discuss strategies for building community resilience.
The colloquium, themed “Unlocking the Phenomenon of Violent Extremism and Terror Grooming: The Philippine Context,” aims to guide future policies in shielding vulnerable communities and securing the nation’s future.
Although the NTF-Elcac and CEAP represent disparate sectors with frequently divergent viewpoints, there are some areas where they could work together, particularly on initiatives to reduce poverty and promote community development.
Concerns about academic independence and the persistent problem of red-tagging, however, continue to be major obstacles in the collaboration.
While the NTF-Elcac continues to work toward its objective of putting an end to insurgency using a variety of ways, including combating alleged left-wing ideology within academic institutions, CEAP also continues advocating for the protection of academic freedom and human rights. DEF
