Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Monday visited seven public schools in Masbate which suffered class disruptions due to rebel attacks, affecting thousands of students.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the arrest and deportation by Malaysian authorities of ranking Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leader Eric Casilao “sealed the collapse of the New People’s Army (NPA) insurgency in the Davao Region.”
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Duterte toured the Palani Integrated School in Balud, Guindawahan Elementary School in Pio Corpuz, Locso-an Elementary School, Arriesgado Sevilleno High School in Placer, Villa Hermosa Elementary School, Villa Hermosa National High School in Cawayan, and Masbate Comprehensive National High School in Masbate City.
In-person classes were suspended for a week in six Masbate towns due to armed clashes between government forces and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, affecting over 55,000 students and 2,815 school personnel.
The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said the attacks “have caused trauma to learners and school personnel, who witnessed the senseless violence.”
During her visit, Duterte highlighted the importance of education in ending the cycle of poverty.
She also reminded students from the Locso-on Elementary School in Placer town to duck and seek cover when they hear gunfire.
The Vice President also met with school heads and teachers, and listened to their concerns about the education sector, particularly the establishment of school buildings, lessening the paper works of teachers, and conduct of stress debriefing due to the clashes.
Duterte also led the distribution of school supplies and dental packages to 1,513 students under the OVP’s PagbaBAGo kits.
Casilao was arrested at the Langkawi immigration check-in counter in Malaysia last April 1 while en route to Thailand via a ferry boat using fake travel documents.
Authorities tagged Casilao as one of the most notorious NPA leaders who orchestrated numerous terrorist activities in the Davao Region.
He was deported to Manila last April 17.
“We thank the Malaysian authorities for their assistance in making this happen and in helping our government in its efforts to put an end to the violence perpetrated by the CPP/NPA/NDF (National Democratic Front) in the country. His arrest seals the collapse of the communist insurgency in Davao Region,” Aguilar said in a statement.
Casilao is secretary of the CPP’s Southern Mindanao Regional Committee and member of the party’s Central Committee.
Medel said Casilao was involved in various the atrocities and crimes committed by the NPA in the Davao Region.
Casilao after seeing “the fall of many of the party organs and NPA units under him,” Medel said.
“He abandoned his followers and flew outside the country. He was arrested in Malaysia and was deported to face his crimes here in the country,” Medel added.
Casilao, was wanted for kidnapping, serious illegal detention and attempted murder. He is currently under police custody.