Ex-rebels, parents protest outside UP Diliman over student safety concerns
By Trixee Rosel
Motorists and pedestrians pass by a mural depicting workers’ struggle, calling for a wage increase and lower prices of basic goods, in Quezon City on Friday, May 1, 2026. Labor groups and rights advocates marked Labor Day on May 1 with a protest calling for a P1,200 living wage, an end to contractualization, and the abolition of the regional wage rate system. (Santi San Juan/ManilaBulletin)
Former rebels and parents of students allegedly drawn into underground movements staged a Labor Day protest outside the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City on Friday, May 1, calling for stronger safeguards in schools against reported recruitment activities.
The group urged government authorities and academic institutions to intensify measures to protect students from alleged recruitment by insurgent-linked organizations.
They cited concerns over student safety and education.
Protesters gathered along the UP Diliman perimeter carrying placards and banners denouncing the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), with messages warning against alleged influence on the youth.
Some participants who identified themselves as former New People’s Army members shared accounts of alleged recruitment and their return to civilian life, though these claims were not independently verified.
Parents stressed that schools should remain safe spaces for learning, saying students must be shielded from exposure to armed conflict and recruitment activities that could affect their future.
Authorities continue to caution against alleged recruitment activities in educational institutions, as differing narratives persist among government agencies, rights advocates, and other sectors over insurgency-related operations in civilian communities.