The Senate public order and dangerous drugs will invite Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel into its inquiry into the alleged continuous radicalization and recruitment of students in educational institutions to the New People’s Army (NPA) which is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chairman of the panel, ordered this after three former rebels linked Manuel to the NPA and its recruitment efforts in the University of the Philippines (UP).
“Invitation lang naman, ‘no. While we respect interparliamentary courtesy, we also would like to afford him to floor kung gusto niya magsalita dito harap-harapan don sa mga dati niyang kasamahan, baka gusto niyang idefend ang sarili niya…We are not forcing him,” Dela Rosa said.
(He may want to speak and defend himself in front of his former colleagues.)
He clarified that their fellow legislators could not be forced to attend the inquiry and recalled the time that he was invited to the House of Representatives’ investigation into the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
“Ako naman inimbitahan rin nila don sa lower house, hindi rin naman ako pumunta. Ayaw ko rin pumunta don dahil alam ko naman ang purpose nila don. At tsaka I don’t want to [become a] precedent,” he said.
(They also invited me to the lower house, but I didn’t go either. I didn’t want to go because I knew their purpose. I don’t want to become a precedent.)
“Just offer him. Baka gusto niya pumunta. Imbitahan lang ninyo pero I don’t think pupunta ‘yan dito,” he added.
(It’s just an invitation. But I don’t think he will come.)
GMA News Online reached out to Manuel for his comment, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.
Allegations
Dela Rosa’s stand on interparliamentary courtesy was a 180-turn from the position he took last year when he wanted to investigate Manuel over his supposed links to CPP.
In the same panel’s inquiry last November 2023, Dela Rosa told Manuel, “I will do all my parliamentary powers to pin you down.”
The suggestion to invite Manuel was raised by former NPA recruiter Kate Raca who reiterated her earlier testimony about Manuel’s role in inviting UP students to join the NPA.
“2017 is magkasama kaming nagrerecruit sa UP. Siya as student regent tapos ako as Alay Sining UP Diliman…’Yun ‘yung tasking nya as member ng communist party,” she said.
(In 2017, we recruited together in UP. He as student regent, then me at the Alay Sining UP Diliman. That was his ttask as a member of the communist party.)
Another resource person, Arian Jane Ramos, shared to the committee that she facilitated Manuel’s transportation to an NPA camp where they had what they called the “revolutionary integration” in 2017.
Ramos’ statement was corroborated by Ida Marie Montero, the former secretary of the sub-region of Southern Mindanao Region.
“‘Yung sinabi po ni Arian Jane Ramos, totoo po ‘yon. Siya po ‘yung nag-facilitate ng byahe nila tapos siya po ‘yung nagsundo sa motor tapos hinatid po sa kinampohan po namin. Nag-spend lang naman po ng parang one week si Raoul,” she said.
(What Arian Jane Ramos said was true. She was the one who facilitated their trip and then she was the one who picked up the motorcycle and then delivered it to our camp. He was there for a week.)
“Pumunta po sila sa amin para po mag-revolutionary integration t’yaka papel na po namin noon na kailangan namin silang kumbinsihin para mag-full time NPA tapos hindi po siya nakumbinsi ng mga kasama namin,” she shared.
(They came to us to do revolutionary integration, so it was our role then that we had to convince them to join the NPA full time, but our companions could not convince them.)
According to Montero, Manuel was not convinced to become a full time NPA member because he is not ready yet.
“Hindi ko makalimutan na umiyak po siya kasi sabi niya po sa akin na naiintindihan po niya ang sitwasyon at alam daw niya yung pangangailangan pero sa sarili niya hindi pa raw po talaga siya ready mag-NPA. Kaya tutulong na lang daw po siya sa ibang mga gawain,” she said.
(I will never forget that he cried because he told me that he understood the situation. He said he was not ready and that he would just help in the other tasks.)
After this, Manuel allegedly already helped in the recruitment in UP.
Asked if Manuel should be held accountable for recruiting students to NPA, Raca answered in the affirmative. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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