Police authorities on Monday expressed optimism over an eventual dialogue with officials of universities and colleges tagged to have been infiltrated by the communists for the supposed “Red October” ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.
Metro Manila police chief Guillermo Eleazar had a meeting with acting Commission on Higher Education chief Prospero de Vera III on Sunday and discussed the possibility of dialogues with the presidents of some universities on the matter.
Meanwhile, amid the military’s red-tagging of several universities and colleges in Metro Manila, De Vera on Monday “frowned” at college and university professors over their biases against the government.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines also released some of the names, photos and school affiliations of students who allegedly had joined the communist movement. They were Kemberly Luna of Misamis State University and three from the Univesity of the Philippines Christine Punche, Recca Monte and Tanya Domingo. All four were killed in different places and time, the AFP said.
“I frown at professors who, under the guise of academic freedom, present only one side. There are too many professors who are like that,” De Vera told dzBB radio.
“For them, the government has done nothing good [for the people]. All they want is to topple the government. They are not doing the students a favor.”
Before the conduct of the actual bilateral dialogue, Eleazar said De Vera would be having first an initial contact with some presidents of the universities mentioned in the red-tagging, though no timeline had been allotted to the supposed meeting.
After the initial contact, Eleazar said, Ched would notify them for the actual meeting between school officials and PNP officials to include PNP chief Oscar Albayalde.
Albayalde had said the meeting with De Vera was “fruitful.”
Earlier, authorities planned to conduct a meeting directly with school officials as a result of the red-tagging, but that had been deferred.
“It was a very fruitful meeting that we will have a close coordination with Ched,” Albayalde said.
At least 18 universities and colleges had been tagged by authorities to have been infiltrated by the Communist Party of the Philippines in its attempt for prospective recruits to the “Red October” plot.
Several students have voiced their dismay and denied the apparent recruitment attempt in their respective schools as government critics warned that government troops may suppress basic constitutional rights.
But Eleazar quickly rejected it saying “the civil rights of students are clear. We and the state respect that. But we don’t want our youth to be abused because they are idealistic and emotional.” With Rio N. Araja
