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AFP Proposes Partnership with DepEd to Counter NPA Recruitment in Schools
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has called for an agreement with the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow government forces to conduct information campaigns in schools aimed at countering the recruitment activities of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Retired Colonel Noel Detoyato, the second nominee of the Laang Kawal party-list, highlighted the need for accurate information to combat the NPA’s influence during his campaign visit to Zamboanga City on April 5. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonels Jaime Roberto Almario, the first nominee, and Janette Chavez-Arceo, the third nominee.
Detoyato, a former AFP public affairs officer, emphasized that students are particularly vulnerable to the NPA’s recruitment efforts, which often target young, impressionable individuals.
Recent reports indicate that the NPA is actively recruiting students, who are often easily persuaded by their promises. “A well-informed populace can make the right decisions,” Detoyato remarked during a press conference. “Let us help spread the right information so that children, especially students, can make informed choices.”
He recalled an incident in Quezon province where school officials were alarmed after young students expressed interest in joining the NPA. It was later discovered that NPA members had been visiting school canteens, paying for students’ snacks during recess to gain their trust and recruit them.
To address this, Detoyato proposed that the AFP, through an agreement with DepEd, be allowed to conduct educational campaigns in schools to provide students with accurate information about the NPA and its activities.
While in Zamboanga City, the Laang Kawal party-list candidates also met with AFP reservists and various sector representatives to discuss the party’s platform and seek support for their cause.
News credit to: Sunstar
COTABATO CITY – On April 8, 2025, Kanlaon Volcano erupted explosively at 5:51 a.m., producing a 4,000-meter-high ash plume. The eruption also triggered pyroclastic density currents flowing down the volcano’s southern slopes, as confirmed by PHIVOLCS. The eruption ended at 7:02 a.m., but Alert Level 3 remains in effect, indicating ongoing risk.
In response, DOST-PHIVOLCS employed computer simulations using Ash3D, an ash dispersion model, to track the impact of the eruption and guide ashfall monitoring in the surrounding communities. These simulations, based on the eruption’s duration and plume height, predicted the dispersal of ash primarily at a height of 5 kilometers.
The model was crucial in confirming that Barangays Cubay, San Miguel, and La Granja in La Carlota City experienced ashfall. The model also predicted minimal ashfall to the west of Kanlaon, which aligned with reports from the ground.
DOST-PHIVOLCS’s efforts in collaboration with local government units and volcanologists provided timely and accurate data for identifying affected areas, verifying the ashfall distribution, and ensuring public safety.
COTABATO CITY — Authorities confiscated an estimated ₱1.7 million worth of suspected shabu from two alleged drug dealers during a buy-bust operation in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, on Sunday afternoon, April 6.
The suspects were identified as Mel Anok Ibrahim, 38, and his 20-year-old companion, Bhads Salim Abdillah. Both are currently detained and face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The 250 grams of suspected shabu seized during the operation will serve as evidence in court.
According to Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, the operation was led by Lt. Col. Esmael Madin, chief of the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station. The suspects were arrested shortly after allegedly selling the illegal drugs during the sting.
Initially, the entrapment was planned to take place in Barangay Simuay, Sultan Kudarat. However, the operation was relocated to the town proper of Datu Odin Sinsuat at the request of the suspects.
Macapaz also noted the successful collaboration between the Sultan Kudarat and Datu Odin Sinsuat police units in executing the operation. He thanked local government and barangay officials for their assistance, acknowledging that the operation was based on tips from informants about the suspects’ drug-related activities.
DAVAO CITY – A 38-year-old barker, identified only by the alias “Jori,” was caught in a drug buy-bust operation conducted by personnel of San Pedro Police Station 2 at Purok 4, Upper Exodus, Barangay 8-A, Davao City around midnight on April 8, 2025.
According to the police report, a poseur buyer was able to purchase a sachet of suspected shabu worth ₱2,240 from the suspect, which led to his immediate arrest.
During the operation, authorities also confiscated three more sachets of suspected shabu from the suspect, with an estimated total value of ₱54,320.
The suspect and the seized illegal drugs are now under police custody for proper documentation and filing of charges.
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