More than a dozen armed and uniformed personnel were inside the university, including members of the 103rd Infantry Battalion and the Kalinga Police Provincial Office.
CABUYAO CITY, Laguna — A youth consultation at Kalinga State University (KSU) on Aug. 14 was marred by the presence of armed police and military personnel.
Youth leaders said that this intimidated students and undermined their right to freely express their concerns.
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co visited KSU for a Konsultahang Kabataan, a dialogue with students aimed at gathering concerns that could be raised in Congress during policy and budget deliberations.
Co said that more than a dozen armed and uniformed personnel were inside the university, including members of the 103rd Infantry Battalion and the Kalinga Police Provincial Office. She identified 103rd IB commander Lt. Col. Obias and Kalinga police chief Fati-ig as among those present.
The security forces were also present when Co and youth leader Joaquin Buenaflor proceeded to the student consultation. “There was clearly no free discussion,” Co said in a statement, adding that the presence of armed personnel discouraged students from raising their actual concerns.
Co said that police and military personnel were already present during her dialogue with KSU officials, where the 103rd IB commander requested a photograph with her.
The military later used photos from the encounter in a post portraying Kabataan Partylist as having “united” with the AFP and PNP for youth development and peace. Co denied the claim. “No unity was discussed,” she said, calling the post a misrepresentation of the event.
“The presence of the AFP-PNP in an activity does not automatically mean convergence or unity,” Buenaflor said.
The youth leaders said that the security forces instead intruded into a consultation meant to provide students a safe space for discussion.
Red-tagging
The consultation was followed by red-tagging and online vilification. Promotional materials posted by KSU student publication The Earthline were flooded with red-tagging comments, according to Kabataan Partylist.
The partylist group also cited security force posts alleging communist recruitment linked to youth activities, which it said sought to discredit legitimate youth participation.
In Deduro v. Vinoya (G.R. No. 254753), the Supreme Court recognized that red-tagging, labeling, and guilt by association may threaten a person’s life, liberty, and security.
“If an elected youth representative can be vilified for conducting a consultation, how much more vulnerable are ordinary students who speak about the problems they face?” Co said.
She said that the presence of armed personnel in schools undermines academic freedom and creates an atmosphere of fear.
Kabataan Partylist and the Makabayan bloc are backing House Bill No. 9622 (Safe Schools and Universities Bill) which seeks to strengthen protections for academic freedom and prevent unwarranted interference by armed state forces.
“Schools are for learning, consultation, organization, and free expression. They are not military camps,” Buenaflor said.
Concerns
Despite the presence of armed security forces, students raised concerns over education costs, inadequate student services, classroom shortages, and insufficient university funding, according to Buenaflor.
KSU administrators also reported that proposals for additional projects had been rejected due to funding constraints.
For Buenaflor, the consultation showed why students need safe spaces to speak and organize. “If we truly want to protect the youth, they must be free to speak.”
“Schools are for learning, consultation, organization, and free expression. They are not military camps,” Buenaflor said. (DAA)
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