OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, Philippines — Emotions ran high as Merlyn Doydora, the grieving mother of Jerlynrose Doydora, spoke out following the death of her daughter during an encounter between government troops and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on January 1. The incident has since drawn national attention after the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) confirmed that the slain student was allegedly a member of the rebel group.

For Doydora, the loss is deeply personal and painful. She shared how she worked overseas as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), enduring years away from her family to support her daughter’s education and future. That sacrifice, she said, makes her daughter’s death even harder to accept—not only as a casualty of conflict, but as a shattered dream for a better life.

Adding to her grief is her appeal for accountability. Doydora publicly called on the Kabataan Party-list to stop using her daughter’s name and case in political statements, expressing frustration over what she perceives as the politicization of her child’s death. She also named Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co, asserting that public figures and organizations must take responsibility when young people are allegedly drawn into armed struggle.

Beyond individual accusations, the situation raises broader questions about youth involvement in armed conflict, political influence, and the responsibilities of organizations that claim to represent the youth sector. While grief seeks justice, society must also reflect on how ideology, activism, and vulnerability intersect—often with irreversible consequences. As the nation listens to a mother’s cry for accountability, one pressing question remains: who truly bears responsibility when ideology costs a young life? (Larawan: Newsblast / Facebook)