CEBU CITY –The Central Command (Centcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is asking college students to be critical in joining legal fronts of the New Peoples Army (NPA), as it can ruin their future or may even be the cause of their untimely death.

Col. Oscar Lasangue of the Centcom’s Civil Relations Group made this statemnet after another batch of graduates of Cebu universities were arrested in Negros Oriental following an alleged shootout with members of the 79th Infantry Battalion Sunday night.

Arrested were Maria Carla Alvarico, 22, alias “Janet Macarasig,” a licensed nurse working with Velez hospital and a resident of Plaridel St., Barangay Umapad Mandaue City; Carlo Cabahug, 22, an Associate Computer Technician student of the University of San Carlos and resident of Maguikay, Mandaue City; and Absin Glen Felamer, 22, alias “Bryan,” a political science student of the University of Cebu and resident of Plaridel, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.

After said encounter, a bloodstained backpack, a .38 revolver, documents and notes on communist teachings, a first aid kit and a nylon rope were found in the possession of the three graduates.

The three are believed to be members of such NPA legal organizations like the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and the League of the Filipino Students (LFS).

To recall, late last year, a CEGP member named Rachel Mae Palang, who was reported to have joined the NPA movement died during an encounter with the military. A former member of the CEGP said Palang was a close friend of Alvarico. Both of them came from the same school and were active officials of the CEGP-Visayas chapter.

Other former Cebu students allegedly killed during past military encounters were Marvin Marquez of Southwestern University, Jerry Badayos of University of San Jose Recolletos and Guillermo Alburo of the University of the Visayas.

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Augusto Marquez Jr., Chief of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office, said they had already filed rebellion charges against the three last Monday afternoon before the Negros Oriental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Currently, the three are detained at the Zamboanguita Police Station.

Lasangue said that depsite their agressive campaign and school visits to conduct orientation on the possible ill-effects of joining identified legal fronts of the NPA they can not just stop students from doing so as “it’s a choice they make and this is a democratic country; but we just want to emphazise that we have warned them already.”

The military official also urged parents to be critical in checking the activity of their children in college as the NPA also recruits tertiary students. Recruitment by the NPA is done through their legal front organizations which has access inside the different universities here.

“We are warning parents to check on the activities of their children or might as well check on the invitation for possible immersion or camping activities, as this might endanger their lives,” he said.

Lasangue explained that to save their children from recruitment by the NPA and save them from endangering themselves because of their joining the NPA’s countryside struggle, parents should be assiduous in monitoring the activities of their children, particularly those who are very idealistic.