Around 300 to 400 students of the University of the Philippines-Cebu hold a rally dubbed as “UP Day of walk-out and action” in front of their campuses in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City on Tuesday morning.
The students, some who are grades 11 and 12 that are still clad in their uniforms, went out in their classrooms and hold the rally going against the current administration.
“(The students) Nagwalk out sa ilahang mga klase para ipadayag no ang pagbatok sa kining nagkagrabe mga atake sa nasud particularly na diha ang campus militarization. So tulo rason nganong mo walk out mi kun naay campus militarization,” said Auramae Agbay, chairperson of UP-Cebu University Student Council.
(The students walked out in their class to voice put our protest against the current administration particularly on campus militarization)
Agbay said that there is already campus militarization if the academic freedom, the right to organize, and rights to speech are being prohibited by the authorities.
“Ni walk-out mi kay nanobra na ang adminsitrasyon ni Duterte ug dili mosugot padayon pa siya sa iyahang pagpangatake nga dili lang aktibista iyahang kalaban ang estudyante dili lang napagkamalan nga drug addict tanan-tanan na. Pasanginlan ka bisag unsa,” said Agbay.
(We walk out because the Duterte administration has been violating our rights and keep on attacking not just activists but also students)
The protest was also supported by the administration of UP-Cebu where some of the staff also showed up during the rally this morning.
Weena Gera, bice chancellor for administration UP-Cenu, said that the UP-Cebu administration showing support and solidarity of their students in their courageous protest and action.
“The UP Day of walk-out and action to defend academic freedom and oppose campus militarization. The University of the Philippines as an academic institution is traditionally and continues to be a bastion of free, independent, critical thinking, and open analysis of domestic and global socio-political issues,” said Gera.
The students with their teachers marched from Fuente Osmeña down to Colon street where they hold a short program.