INCUMBENT Student Regents of the University of the Philippines and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines alongside concerned advocacy group Youth Alliance for Climate action Philippines filed a case to cancel the registration of Duterte Youth Party-list over alleged violation of COMELEC Supplemental Resolution No. 11127, which recognizes terrorist-labeling as an election offense.
Ronald Cardema as Party-list chairperson made several official public statements redtagging other party-list groups which consequently affected ordinary students and youth snagged in the dartboard of redtagged groups, including the constituency of the complainants in UP and PUP.
“Paano magkakaroon ng pagbabago kung minamasama na agad ang pagkwestyon sa nasa kapangyarihan? Dahil sa pagkalat lalo ng ideya na terorista ang mga hindi pro-Duterte o hindi kampi sa administrasyong Marcos, di lang mga kandidato pero ordinaryong estudyante na rin ang napapahamak sa hysteria na binubunga ng fake news na ito. May mga ulat po ng mga UP students na biglang hinaharass habang nagcocommute, inaatake online at iba pang kaso dahil lang taga UP sila. Redtagging kills democracy, critical thought and our chances of a better future,” says Cheska Duran, incumbent UP Student Regent.
“This is a whole new level of crab mentality – drag your rivals down and poison the well too. Aatras at bibitak-bitak lalo ang Pilipinas sa redtagging at kung hahayaan lang tumakbo at magkapusisyon ang nagpapakalat nito. The boy who cried terrorist just to win an election without clear proposed bills and platforms to address the urgent needs of the youth – the constituency they supposedly represent – should not be in the first place running for position. Naghihirapan ang PUPians sa mga bulok na pasilidad pero nauna pa silang mang-atake ng kapwa kandidato kaysa magbigay ng solusyon,” says Troy Cabangon, incumbent PUP Student Regent.
“Sana aksyunan to ng COMELEC agad. Walang lugar ang diskriminasyon loob man o labas ng halalan. Kung kayang i-disqualify agad si Atty. Sia dahil sa isang bastos na salita, bakit hindi ang Duterte Youth na walang preno sa redtagging? Sobrang pambabastos na rin to sa rules ng COMELEC. Itaguyod natin ang malinis, patas at tapat na halalan,” ends Duran.
The Regents represent a constituency of state scholars of more than 100,000 students. They hope by being the first to make such a move to inspire more students to reject redtagging and fake partylists
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