Camp Aquino, Tarlac City -- Soldiers from the Army’s 17th Infantry Battalion kicked off their four-day  peace journey to six high schools and a college in Baggao, Cagayan last Tuesday primarily to raise security awareness among youth/students  through a series of symposium.

This,  following the death of four New People’s Army  (NPA) rebels in an encounter last month that also left three civilians injured  in Sitio Bariwanay, Bgy. San Miguel, Baggao town.

According to Cpl. Jacob Apostol, it is the desire of his commanding officer Lt. Col. Alvin V. Flores to  inculcate in their (students) hearts and minds that peace is everyone’s responsibility.  That although the AFP and PNP are mandated to maintain peace and order in the communities, the support and cooperation of all sectors are paramount.

Flores also said, “Our youth should be vigilant and never allow themselves to be deceived and lured in joining legal fronts of the New People’s Army because  in doing so,  they will ruin their own future and expose themselves to danger.”

He added that there were many student-recruits who get themselves killed during encounters with government forces because young as they are,  they are being used as frontliners or human shield during NPA tactical operations by the very people who recruited them.

Some 4,500 students as well as faculty members attended the four-day symposia last Friday.  

Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa said, “If we can only enlighten all the student sector about the underhandedness of the local terrorist movement,  we will be very happy already. It’s a big thing for us if they are properly educated because we also have brothers, sisters and children whom we want to spare from this misplaced romanticism.