Twelve segments of the concrete fence surrounding the Davao City Police Office headquarters are turned into murals with the help of local artists, as part of the intensified campaign to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).
City police director, Col. Kirby John Kraft, said the mural painting started on Jan. 15, 2020, carrying themes that raise awareness of the vulnerability of youths to being recruited into the communist armed movement.
He said paintings aim to “spread the word” about what the PNP wants to change in the community by not supporting “Joma Sison’s criminal group.”
“Emphasizing ‘criminal’ since they are used to terrorize, extort from businessmen, and create atrocities generate fear and violence among the populace,” he said.
“There’s a larger issue than many people may not be aware of—the extremism of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their recruitment, especially among students,” he added.
He said the Communist Party of the Philippines is taking advantage of the natural curiosity, adventurism, and idealism of the youth, and brainwashing them into militancy. First, they indoctrinate them with false ideologies, then conscripting them to take up arms against the government.
“We are doing this because we want the public to be wary of the pattern of deception of this terrorist group,” he said.
“Likewise, I am asking the support of everybody to deny them a chance or any opportunity to regain strength. We want peace and order to prevail in this land, not hate, terror, and inhumanity,” he further said.
Nevertheless, PNP still welcomes rebels who want to turn their backs on violence and go back to mainstream society.
