Spare the Children

An example of a process of regular 
Cycle of Recruitment in Youth/ Student sector 
of the CPP-NPA-NDF.  

The use of child fighters has been soundly criticized by the government and the Commission on Human Rights, which pointed out that under the International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, even non-state armed groups must not recruit and use children in armed conflict and hostilities.

As also explained by Victor’s work, the CPP’s strategy for organizing the youth and student sector follows this cycle of arousing the youth, organizing them, and mobilizing them.

The steps involved in this process are as follows:

1. Recruitment: Prospective recruits  are invited to discussions that focus on important campus issues. The topics then shift towards political, economic and social issues in the country. This is intended to agitate them and spur them into action, such as by holding rallies.

2. Indoctrination: Those who have proven themselves to be receptive to communist ideology are indoctrinated by being exposed to meetings with people from other CPP-linked groups. When the student becomes a “hardcore” member, the recruit will undertake revolutionary courses and further mobilize during mass actions.

3. Field work: Recruits will be asked to participate in NPA operations, such as planning guerrilla actions and being involved in actual armed operations. After about 60 to 90 days, they will be asked whether they will go back to school or remain in the countryside. Those who choose the former will be tasked to become the cadre- in-charge in the student/youth organizations.

4. Full-time duty cadre: Recruits who remain in the countryside will seek the endorsement of the Party unit in his locality. After a year of being exposed to the countryside operations, they will become a prospective candidate. After two to three years of good performance, and depending on his ideological, political, and organizational work, the recruit becomes a full-fledged party member.

The foregoing is the usual cycle to most recruits, but there are also exemptions to the rule – particularly to recruits deemed as exemplary based on the CPP-NPA-NDF standards and their leaders’ preferences. 

-- THE WARS WITHIN (2020 / Copy&Share)