2 universities deny students being recruited for Duterte ouster plot

Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., AFP chief of staff, talks with Sens. Antonio Trillanes IV (right) and Risa Hontiveros after a Senate hearing on the defense budget on Tuesday. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The University of Santo Tomas and the University of Makati denied on Wednesday that their students were being recruited by communist rebels in their alleged plot with the Libertal Party to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, as claimed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

According to the AFP, at least 10 schools in Metro Manila are the source of recruits by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA).

READ: AFP chief links 10 Metro Manila universities to ‘Red October’

The AFP was probably “stereotyping” UST as anti-government for being a Catholic institution, UST Secretary General Jesus Miranda said in an interview with The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the school.

“Maybe they are stereotyping or because we are a Catholic university and there is a perception that we are against the present government,” Miranda said.

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

In a Facebook post, the University of Makati also refuted the AFP statement.

https://www.facebook.com/UMakPH/photos/a.684791688300812/1907004532746182/?type=3&theater

“The management of the University of Makati has no knowledge of any student activity linked to what the claims recruitment efforts of the CPP,” Tomas Lopez Jr., the university president, said.

“As a local academic institution, we do not participate in partisan political initiatives but rather, we focus on efforts to strengthen the value of citizenship in young Filipinos so they can become productive members of our society,” Lopez added.

Follwing are the other schools linked to the alleged ouster plot:

• University of the Philippines (UP) – Diliman
• UP Manila
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines
• Ateneo de Manila University
• De La Salle University
• Adamson University
• Far Eastern University
• University of the East (UE) – Caloocan
• UE – Recto
• Emilio Aguinaldo College
• Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology
• San Beda College
• Lyceum of the Philippines University
• Caloocan City College
• University of Manila
• Philippine Normal University

/atm