As the province moves to formally adopt Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT) into its youth governance system, student leaders and youth organizations staged a picket protest outside the Iloilo Provincial Capitol on Thursday, February 12.
The protest coincided with a KKDAT orientation during the first regular session of the Panlalawigang Pederasyon ng Sangguniang Kabataan of Iloilo, following the passage of Provincial Ordinance No. 2025-345.
The measure, authored and sponsored by Board Member Esara Aldeguer Javier, institutionalizes KKDAT within the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) structure and integrates it into official provincial youth programs.
The Western Visayas Youth and Students Alliance opposed the expansion, citing alleged links between the program and red-tagging and intimidation of student leaders, campus journalists, issue-based organizations, and even SK officials.
In a unity statement circulated among youth councils and campus groups, the alliance warned that formalizing KKDAT could create a climate of fear and restrict civic spaces in Iloilo.
It stressed that “red-tagging has no place” in the province and described youth safety as “non-negotiable.”
The group also characterized as “dangerous,” “unconstitutional,” and “unacceptable” the labeling of youth leaders and organizations as “terrorists” or “enemies of the state” for engaging in advocacy or questioning policies.
The alliance further alleged that KKDAT and state security forces have conducted school forums and community dialogues cautioning students against joining organizations such as Anakbayan, the League of Filipino Students (LFS), and the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), which authorities have described as “front organizations” of revolutionary groups.
Protesters also raised concerns over funding for the rollout of KKDAT chapters and urged the youth federation to prioritize measures directly addressing youth welfare, including a proposed Students’ Rights and Welfare Ordinance.
Arlie Bosque of Kabataan Party-list Panay called on the SK to pursue measures that “uphold the rights of the youth” instead of programs they claim have a “track record of attacking” young people.
The alliance maintained that youth empowerment initiatives should remain people-led, developmental, and anchored in human rights principles.
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Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.