Philippines universities deny becoming breeding ground for communist rebels
- The presidents of Far Eastern University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, and the Ateneo De Manila University rejected officials’ claims
- Labelling people and groups as communists or terrorists, a process known as ‘red-tagging, is rife in the Philippines, the United Nations has warned
Last week, Philippine students and activists protested against a government decision to allow security forces to patrol the campuses of the country’s biggest university, the University of the Philippines (UP), which authorities also accused of being a breeding ground for communist rebels.
A number of UP students, some killed in military operations or captured, had been identified as members of the communist party’s armed wing, the defence ministry said in a letter to UP’s president this month, without providing evidence.
Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, head of an anti-rebel task force, has named the Far Eastern University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, and the Ateneo De Manila University as among 18 schools where the New People’s Army has been recruiting new members.