A student group based on the University of the Philippines (UP) issued an erratum for accusing the military personnel stationed at their Diliman campus of intimidating the people planning to organize a rally against the government.
In a post, UP Rises Against Tyranny and Dictatorship posted a photo showing military trucks parked in front of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) office in Diliman, Quezon City.
The group claimed that the military trucks appeared minutes after they announced that they’re going to conduct rally against the government.
“Without declared purpose, this may constitute a violation of the UP-DND Accord banning military presence on campus and is an outright form of intimidation against people joining the assembly and exercising their democratic rights,” the group post read.
“This showcases the same militarist mindset that makes the terror bill a dangerous weapon against ordinary civilians,” they added.
Later on, the group issued an erratum after they got informed that the military trucks were stationed there regularly to provide transportation to the people who wanted to go inside and outside of the UP campus.
However, they said that their presence could still intimidate the people who wanted to express their disappointment to the government
“The military trucks were eventually verified to be regularly stationed there to provide some mode of transportation during the ECQ in and out of campus. Their services are important but nonetheless valued, but absent any clear purpose that time their presence inevitably caused intimidation for the would-be protesters based on credible precedent from past cases of coercion,” they said.
Radio host and blogger Mark Lopez, who screen-captured the post of the group couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“Nakupo! Ayan na, target na daw ni Duterte ang mga woke at millennial. P*tay na ang demokrasya at merong outright intimidation. But as it turned out, ang mga military trucks at mga sundalo na nakita eh ang mission pala ay para mag provide ng support transportation at dun talaga naka pwesto since ECQ pa,” Lopez said.
“Tumutulong pala sa ating mga kababayan pero para sa mga kabataang wala nang inatupag kundi manira, manakot at manlinlang, eh kahit yang pagtulong ng gobyerno at militar eh papalabasin pa may balak na hindi maganda,” he added.
“Paumanhin kay Dr Jose Rizal, pero hindi mga ganitong kabataan ang pag asa ng bayan,”
A few days ago, another group of students also faced controversy after they allegedly fake the threats sent to them.
The group admitted that the number used by their intimidator was their former hotline number, however, they said that it was already sent to the junk shop a long time ago.