Abra de Ilog lays bare deadly terror-grooming of youth as full context of Doydora death emerges

January 6, 2026

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the January 1 series of armed encounters in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro have starkly exposed how terror-grooming operates on the ground—systematically drawing young Filipinos away from school, family, and civilian life, and leading them toward violence and, in tragic cases, death.

In a statement, Usec. Ernesto C. Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC Executive Director, stressed that while the incident has been widely reported, it is often stripped of the context necessary to understand why the operation occurred and who has truly been affected.

“We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Jerlyn Rose Doydora. No family should have to bury a child, and no young Filipino should be lured away from school and home into armed conflict,” Torres stressed.

At the same time, the official said honesty is essential if the public is to grasp the real danger confronting the youth.

“Jerlyn Rose Doydora was not simply a student caught in crossfire. Based on information and verification received by authorities on the ground, she had already been drawn into the New People’s Army. This does not lessen the tragedy—it defines it. It is a tragedy of radicalization and recruitment, where a young life is taken from civilian pathways and brought into armed violence," Torres emphasized.

According to him, Abra de Ilog has now become a painful showcase of how terror-grooming works in practice. Recruiters exploit vulnerability, idealism, and grievances, feeding the youth romanticized narratives of struggle while concealing the realities of fear, deprivation, and lethal encounters.

“This is how young people are led down a path that ends in violence and loss,” Torres said. “What happened in Abra de Ilog shows the real, human cost of that deception," he added.

The task force claimed that the January 1 engagements in Sitio Mamara, Barangay Cabacao did not occur in a vacuum. Authorities acted after residents reported intimidation, extortion, and abuses linked to armed NPA elements—conditions that communities had endured for years before finally speaking up.

“Communities that lived in fear are now asking the government for protection. That context matters," the official noted.

Local leaders have also spoken decisively. The Liga ng mga Barangay of Abra de Ilog issued a unified condemnation of CPP–NPA–NDF presence and activities in the municipality—an explicit rejection, officials said, of armed violence and the recruitment of local youth.

“When barangay officials and community members collectively call for peace and stability, that voice should never be sidelined,” Torres further said.

NTF-ELCAC also noted the statement of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Shrine and Parish in Mamburao, which confirmed heightened security measures following the uncoordinated arrival of a group claiming to be from Karapatan shortly after the incident.

“Prudence by local institutions during tense security situations should not be misrepresented. It reflects a community’s right to safety, order, and accountability,” he stressed.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has likewise stated that the January 1 encounters were part of a legitimate operation conducted in response to community reports, with support employed in accordance with rules of engagement, including troop protection and casualty evacuation. The recovery of identification documents during the operation, officials said, underscores a deeply disturbing reality: the continuing recruitment of young people into armed units in rural areas.

“Our priority now is to help secure the safe recovery of the other students reportedly involved," Torres said, adding "we want them brought back to their families through lawful, coordinated, and responsible efforts."

The NTF-ELCAC official also warned against attempts to reduce the incident to slogans, selective outrage, or propaganda, a scheme typically employed by CPP-NPA-NDF front groups masquerading as humanitarian aid groups and the like.

“We owe the public the full truth—especially our youth and the communities most affected. When death is sanitized and recruitment is glorified, terror-grooming succeeds," Torres said.

NTF-ELCAC called on parents, educators, faith-based groups, local governments, and civil society to treat the Abra de Ilog incident as a national warning and to work together to prevent further recruitment.

“Jerlyn Rose Doydora’s death must awaken us,” Torres said. “Protecting the youth means exposing terror-grooming early, encouraging those deceived into armed groups to return home, and supporting peaceful, lawful pathways to address grievances—without sacrificing our children to violence.”