Red-tagging UP 'unfair, intolerant,' affects entire community: official

MANILA - A University of the Philippines (UP) official on Friday criticized what she called "unfair and intolerant" accusations the school had become a breeding ground for communists.

Speaking to ANC's "Headstart," UP Vice-President for Public Affairs Elena Pernia said academic freedom remains in UP and that the state university has no place for bigotry and red-tagging.

"What has happened is that the entire university has been red-tagged, which is unfair, which is really intolerant and which does affect our entire community," she said. 

• UP Diliman chancellor hits back at defunding, red-tagging threats

The UP official also echoed the remarks of UP Diliman chancellor Fidel Nemenzo that red-tagging is dangerous.

"We are one with the chancellor in saying that red-tagging has negative impacts not only on our students, not only on our faculty, but the reputation of the entire University of the Philippines," Pernia said.

• Duterte threatens to defund UP amid students' protest vs disaster response, pandemic handling

In a public address aired Nov. 18, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to cut the funding of the state university following calls of academic strike due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent typhoons. 

It was also the chief executive who said that UP does nothing except recruit communists.

"Stop studying. I will stop the funding. You don't do anything except recruit communists," Duterte said in Filipino.