Students, CPA hit redtagging in UP Baguio NSTP program
>> Friday, November 11, 2022
Chancellor issues apology
BAGUIO CITY – The
University of the Philippines Baguio community and other student organizations
from Baguio universities gathered in UP Baguio on Nov. 8 and condemned the
recent red-tagging and political vilification held in an online National
Service Training Program (NSTP) class discussion on peace and national security
last Nov. 7.
About 400 students were present during the said lecture where retired Maj. Gen. Peale Jon Bondoc, former Commander of ARESCOM tagged progressive legal organizations like the Cordillera People’s Alliance , including duly recognized organizations in UPB such as Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students, as “fronts of communist-terrorist groups (CTGs).”
A “statement of concern” issued by the UPB Office of the Director for Student Affairs and Student Relations Office said “categorizing duly recognized organizations as NUFCs under the communist terrorist group is a form of red-tagging which may compromise the safety and welfare of our students.”
In the protest action, UPB Chancellor Corazon Abansi apologized for the lapse on the part of the administration and for allowing the retired military officer to have an avenue for red-tagging in the mentioned class.
Abansi reassured the UPB community that the administration will install mechanisms to protect students, faculty and other university personnel against red-tagging.
All UP Academic Employees Union – Baguio Chapter expressed their strong condemnation against the act of vilification done by the retired general in the mentioned NSTP class.
AUPAEU Baguio Chapter said in their statement that the “NSTP class should have served as a platform to discuss holistic and inclusive viewpoint on peace and national security. However, the recent incident served as an avenue for the military to instill fear among the students and to vilify legal and progressive organizations, impeding the academic freedom of the whole UPB community.
“While the UP Baguio community recognizes the apology pronounced by the UPB Chancellor, true accountability must come in the form of concrete mechanisms to actively combat redtagging being done towards various stakeholders of the university,” UPB University Student Council chairperson Sofia Trinidad said.
“With the past and recent threats to UPB constituents, it was disappointing to hear that this happened within the control of the institution. Red tagging, no matter what shape or form, must not be welcomed nor tolerated whether it happens within or outside our schools and universities. Apologies are very much welcome and appreciated but should cases or similar cases like this happen again, or if there are no active steps in holding the state accountable for attacking our democratic rights and academic freedom, we will hold the UPB administration accountable,” Trinidad added.
The CPA condemned the redtagging by Bondoc wherein he
presented a slide labelling several progressive organizations including the CPA as fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA).
“This will be the latest case of political vilification against the CPA, the organization said in a statement.
On August 5, 2022, some 23 petitioners from the CPA reportedly filed a petition for a Writ of Amparo in hopes of acquiring court protection from the series of harassment, vilification, coercion to surrender as rebels, and trumped-up charges instigated by state security forces.
“On August 20, 2022, CPA Regional Council Member Steve Tauli was mauled and abducted by suspected elements of the state who proceeded to lecture him about the counter-insurgency programs of the government, particularly NTF-ELCAC and pressured him to sign a sworn statement admitting his supposed leadership position in the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.
“His captors released him the following day. Steve then petitioned for a Writ of Amparo, making him the 24th petitioner from CPA.
“On August 29-30, 2022, a redtagging forum by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) was conducted at Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City.
CPA was again named as a communist-terrorist front organization. The same activity was held in Ifugao on August 22-23, and if NCIP implements the same program and presentations, it is highly possible that the redtagging of CPA and the other organizations had been conducted in many of their forums held elsewhere.
On October 25, 2022, Lorraine Badoy-Partosa recited the names of the CPA petitioners for a Writ of Amparo in her news show Laban Kasama ang Bayan which regularly airs at the SMNI network. She claimed that these were names of CPP-NPA members. Following this incident, we received the official dismissal of our petition for a Writ of Amparo.
“These instances are just a few of the reasons why we persist in availing human rights mechanisms despite its sorry state in the Philippines. The dangers are not ending; the attacks are organized and systematic. While we are disappointed by our Amparo petition’s dismissal despite the intensifying human rights violations (HRVs), it will not be the end of our efforts.”
This November, CPA will be participating in the 4th cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). We will be presenting our situation and recommendations in the side-events leading to the November 14 convention of the UN Human Rights Council.
About 400 students were present during the said lecture where retired Maj. Gen. Peale Jon Bondoc, former Commander of ARESCOM tagged progressive legal organizations like the Cordillera People’s Alliance , including duly recognized organizations in UPB such as Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students, as “fronts of communist-terrorist groups (CTGs).”
A “statement of concern” issued by the UPB Office of the Director for Student Affairs and Student Relations Office said “categorizing duly recognized organizations as NUFCs under the communist terrorist group is a form of red-tagging which may compromise the safety and welfare of our students.”
In the protest action, UPB Chancellor Corazon Abansi apologized for the lapse on the part of the administration and for allowing the retired military officer to have an avenue for red-tagging in the mentioned class.
Abansi reassured the UPB community that the administration will install mechanisms to protect students, faculty and other university personnel against red-tagging.
All UP Academic Employees Union – Baguio Chapter expressed their strong condemnation against the act of vilification done by the retired general in the mentioned NSTP class.
AUPAEU Baguio Chapter said in their statement that the “NSTP class should have served as a platform to discuss holistic and inclusive viewpoint on peace and national security. However, the recent incident served as an avenue for the military to instill fear among the students and to vilify legal and progressive organizations, impeding the academic freedom of the whole UPB community.
“While the UP Baguio community recognizes the apology pronounced by the UPB Chancellor, true accountability must come in the form of concrete mechanisms to actively combat redtagging being done towards various stakeholders of the university,” UPB University Student Council chairperson Sofia Trinidad said.
“With the past and recent threats to UPB constituents, it was disappointing to hear that this happened within the control of the institution. Red tagging, no matter what shape or form, must not be welcomed nor tolerated whether it happens within or outside our schools and universities. Apologies are very much welcome and appreciated but should cases or similar cases like this happen again, or if there are no active steps in holding the state accountable for attacking our democratic rights and academic freedom, we will hold the UPB administration accountable,” Trinidad added.
The CPA condemned the redtagging by Bondoc wherein he
presented a slide labelling several progressive organizations including the CPA as fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA).
“This will be the latest case of political vilification against the CPA, the organization said in a statement.
On August 5, 2022, some 23 petitioners from the CPA reportedly filed a petition for a Writ of Amparo in hopes of acquiring court protection from the series of harassment, vilification, coercion to surrender as rebels, and trumped-up charges instigated by state security forces.
“On August 20, 2022, CPA Regional Council Member Steve Tauli was mauled and abducted by suspected elements of the state who proceeded to lecture him about the counter-insurgency programs of the government, particularly NTF-ELCAC and pressured him to sign a sworn statement admitting his supposed leadership position in the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.
“His captors released him the following day. Steve then petitioned for a Writ of Amparo, making him the 24th petitioner from CPA.
“On August 29-30, 2022, a redtagging forum by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) was conducted at Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City.
CPA was again named as a communist-terrorist front organization. The same activity was held in Ifugao on August 22-23, and if NCIP implements the same program and presentations, it is highly possible that the redtagging of CPA and the other organizations had been conducted in many of their forums held elsewhere.
On October 25, 2022, Lorraine Badoy-Partosa recited the names of the CPA petitioners for a Writ of Amparo in her news show Laban Kasama ang Bayan which regularly airs at the SMNI network. She claimed that these were names of CPP-NPA members. Following this incident, we received the official dismissal of our petition for a Writ of Amparo.
“These instances are just a few of the reasons why we persist in availing human rights mechanisms despite its sorry state in the Philippines. The dangers are not ending; the attacks are organized and systematic. While we are disappointed by our Amparo petition’s dismissal despite the intensifying human rights violations (HRVs), it will not be the end of our efforts.”
This November, CPA will be participating in the 4th cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). We will be presenting our situation and recommendations in the side-events leading to the November 14 convention of the UN Human Rights Council.
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