DILG invites Rep Allan Jay Manuel to Senate panel on NPA recruitment

Bato dela Rosa, the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), has invited Rep. Rolando Allan 'Allan Jay' E. Manuel to appear before a Senate committee hearing related to New People's Army (NPA) recruitment.

Former NPA recruiter Kate Raca claims that during his tenure as student regent of UP Diliman in 2017, Manuel was involved in recruiting students for the communist group.

Manuel has stated he is not afraid to attend the inquiry but won't because it goes against a Supreme Court ruling on red-tagging and he believes testimonies raised against him are fabricated.

The DILG maintains that the invitation is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of NPA recruitment activities within educational institutions, with Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa announcing that Manuel will be invited to testify at the Senate hearing.

Manuel's refusal to appear before the committee has sparked debate over the balance between due process and national security concerns, while his party, Kabataan, has condemned the invitation as an abuse of public funds.