Students in immersion programs ‘forced’ to join NPA -- police

THE New People’s Army (NPA) are forcing students from state-run University of the Philippines (UP) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) who visit communities in the mountains as part of their immersion, according to police and rebel group members who surrendered to authorities on Monday.

Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, Calabarzon regional director, said the NPA rebels would later tell these students that they could not go back because they were now targets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).