Former rebels convene forum backing terror grooming prevention bill

QUEZON CITY — A national federation of former rebels convened a multi-sectoral forum on December 10 to rally support for the proposed Terror Grooming Prevention Bill (TGPB), saying the measure as a critical safeguard to protect young people from radicalization and recruitment into violent groups.

Buklod Kapayapaan Federation, Inc. (BKFI) hosted the day-long forum, themed “Breaking the Cycle of Violence,” at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Building along Visayas Avenue. Around 124 participants attended, representing youth and student groups, parents’ associations, vendors’ organizations, and former rebel federations from across the National Capital Region.

BKFI, a nationwide federation of former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP), said the activity was part of its continuing advocacy to prevent the recruitment of minors and vulnerable sectors into armed and terrorist movements.

Drawing from lived experience

Speakers at the forum emphasized that former rebels are uniquely positioned to recognize and counter radicalization, having experienced recruitment and indoctrination firsthand.

“Former rebels understand how grooming begins in communities, schools, and online spaces and how it gradually leads young people toward violence,” BKFI said in a statement.

The discussion focused on how radical organizations allegedly exploit grievances and activism narratives to blur the line between legitimate dissent and armed struggle. The proposed TGPB seeks to address what proponents describe as legal gaps by penalizing individuals and networks that groom, manipulate, or recruit people, particularly minors, into terrorist groups.

“The TGPB is not just a proposed law,” said Arian Jane Ramos, BKFI head of legal affairs. “It is a necessary safeguard for our youth and a concrete commitment to preventing the cycle of violence and recruitment into terrorism.”

Broad sectoral participation

Participants included members of the Youth for Peace Movement (YFPM), Kabataan Tungo sa Mapayapang Bukas Laban sa Droga, students from the University of the Philippines and Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the United Vendors Alliance–Manila, and former rebel groups such as Haligi ng Kapayapaan (HAKAP), FR Circle, Pagtupad, and Central Luzon Empowered Associations Ready for Development (CLEARED)..

Several speakers stressed that prevention and early intervention should be central to peacebuilding efforts, alongside accountability measures. Participants called on Congress to prioritize deliberations on the bill and urged sustained public education campaigns to counter what they described as the romanticization of armed struggle.

“As a federation of former rebels, we know the signs and the methods of radicalization,” Ramos said. “We also know that it can be stopped early, through community-based interventions supported by the law.”

Commitment to peace advocacy

BKFI President Noel Legaspi said the federation remains committed to pushing for the bill’s passage and to expanding its grassroots peace advocacy.

“This is our duty as peacebuilders,” Legaspi said. “We are ready to face the challenges of pushing this bill forward until it is enacted.”

BKFI said its more than 55,000 members nationwide will continue information campaigns, community dialogues, and partnerships with civil society and government institutions as part of its peacebuilding work.

Organizers said the forum underscored a broader message that peacebuilding does not end with the surrender of arms but continues through education, advocacy, and legislative action aimed at protecting the next generation.

For BKFI, the group said, the push for the Terror Grooming Prevention Bill reflects a conscious choice to break cycles of violence by ensuring that young people are shielded from manipulation and exploitation.