(File photo) Anti-Duterte protest
MANILA, Philippines — A group of students from different schools will stage a Black Friday protest today, October 5, to condemn the allegations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that top universities and colleges in Metro Manila are conniving with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing the New People’s Army (NPA) in the so-called Red October destabilization plot against the Duterte administration.
“Para i-condemned, singilin si President Duterte sa ini-instill niyang culture of impunity, atmosphere of fear at patuloy na pag-atake sa ating mga karapatan lalong-lalo na iba’t-ibang mga usapin,” said Isaac Punzalan, lead convenor of student organization, UP Rises Against Tyranny and Dictatorship (UPRISE).
Aside from the Black Friday protest separate National Day of Walk-Out is also set to be carried out by various student organizations across the country to protest the alleged dictatorial leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Several of the universities that the AFP Red-tagged have issued a firm denial of the allegation.
The University of Makati administration said they have no information on the alleged coordination of their students with the CPP-NPA.
On the other hand, the University of Sto.Tomas (UST) condemned the military’s attempt to link their institution to the Red October ouster plot.
UST’s student publication, Varsitarian, questioned the credibility of the AFP’s intelligence report and even suggested that the accusation stems from the fact UST is a Catholic school — one of the sectors that openly criticizes the president.
The administration of the Far Eastern University likewise refuted the allegations of the AFP.
De La Salle president and former Education Secretary Armin Luistro also questioned the disclosure of the list.
He said the list of universities should not have been made public. He added that the military should have verified the report first with the school administration.
“Kung talagang gusto nilang solusyunan yan, kausapin muna nila yung mga institusyon at saka nila i-validate yung kanilang so-called intelligence report,” Luistro said. — Joan Nano
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