UST execs to AFP: Prove your allegations of CPP recruitment among students

Officials of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Wednesday slammed military leaders for saying that the Communist Party of the Philippines is recruiting its students for a supposed ouster plot against the president.

In a statement shared by The Varsitarian, UST Secretary General Father Jesus Miranda Jr. said that Brigadier General Antonio Parlade Jr. should prove his allegation that students at UST and several other schools were being recruited for the alleged "Red October" plot. 

Parlade made the claim after Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez, Jr. alleged that communist rebels are trying to mobilize students against the Duterte administration by likening it to the Marcos regime.

"Bakit naman nadamay ang UST dito?...Siguro, i-prove muna nila kung bakit nasama. Ano 'yung mga proof [at] mga detalye," Miranda wrote.

"Or baka naman [they are] stereotyping or because we are a Catholic university and there is a perception that we are against the present government, ganoon ba 'yon? Is that why we're being tagged?" he added.

BREAKING: UST Secretary General Fr. Jesus Miranda Jr., O.P. on AFP report: Maybe they are stereotyping or because we are a Catholic university and there is a perception that we are against the present government. pic.twitter.com/06DmMXcQee

— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) October 3, 2018

Mark Abenir, the director of the school's community development office UST Simbahayan, also reacted to the "big allegation" made against the university.

"I do not understand why they are red-tagging the University for standing up for human rights, standing up against the return of any form of dictatorial rule. We believe in democracy, we believe in the rule of law, and we believe in good governance," he said.

BREAKING: UST Simbahayan Director Mark Abenir reacts to AFP report "red-tagging the University" on alleged CPP-NPA recruitment of students to oust President Duterte. pic.twitter.com/UrtL84dhNJ

— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) October 3, 2018

"Red-tagging" is the practice of branding a person or organization as communists.

UST Central Student Council president Francis Santos denounced the Armed Forces' allegation as "outrageous, inappropriate and questionable."

"I believe that as an institution, the AFP must do their diligence to verify and to ensure the veracity of their intelligence information because it has now put the security of the university at risk," he said.

.@UST_CSC President Francis Santos' statement on the intel report of the Armed Forces of the Philippines: pic.twitter.com/Ojw0DcIXhN

— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) October 3, 2018

Nevertheless, the student council urged Thomasians to be vigilant and report to university authorities any suspicious or unusual acts that may or may not be related to this incident. — Margaret Claire Layug/BM, GMA News