STUDENT leaders from schools affiliated with the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) condemned its recent alignment with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

In a statement, the student leaders expressed concerns that this affiliation threatens academic freedom and student safety, citing NTF-ELCAC’s history of red-tagging and repression, which they believe has endangered students and youth advocates.

“The experiences of Chad Booc, Paolo Tarra, and countless other student activists serve as grim reminders of the danger NTF-ELCAC represents. By aligning with NTF-ELCAC, COCOPEA risks turning educational institutions into spaces of fear and intimidation, rather than places of free thought and intellectual growth,” the statement read.

“As a Christian university whose core values are faith, character, and service, we view these acts by NTF-ELCAC as condemnable and ungodly,” they added, emphasizing that actions compromising student safety and academic freedom go against Christian values.

The student leaders urged COCOPEA to reconsider this affiliation in respect of students’ safety, rights, and freedom and called on Philippine Christian University (PCU) to uphold these values amidst this concern.