by ARTHUR N. APOSTOL
DESPITE THE continuous red-tagging incidents in the University, students should not be afraid to continue to fight by speaking up, vice presidential candidate for Central Student Council (CSC) Gerald Dela Cruz said Sunday.
“Marami nang mga progresibong kabataan at organisasyon ang napahamak dahil sa lantarang red-tagging ng iba’t ibang mga indibidwal at ng mismong gobyerno natin na hindi kinikilala ang malawak na implikasyon nito sa mga Pilipino,” he posted on his Twitter account.
Dela Cruz stated in his post that the issue of red-tagging stems from the political situation of the Philippines.
He also said that the challenge for the people who are running for positions in the student council is to implement policies for the safety of the Thomasian community from red-tagging, the censorship of their rights to free expression, and other important issues that affect students.
“Tayo ay dapat magpatuloy na tumindig para sa mga kapwa nating estudyante, buong komunidad ng UST, mga kapwa nating kabataan, at para sa bayan,” Dela Cruz said.
Dela Cruz urged his fellow student leaders to use their platforms to be the voice of truth and to inform their fellow Filipinos about their current situation.
During the online Tagisan 2021, a mandatory debate for CSC candidates, Dela Cruz was asked by an anonymous person why he was running despite being red-tagged and publicly shamed multiple times.
Fellow CSC candidates Anne Arnet Paguirigan and Gabriele de Lara expressed their disapproval against the question during the event on their Twitter accounts.
Paguirigan said that what happened should be a lesson for everyone to strive for fairness and instill accountability.
De Lara stated in a separate tweet that the question was insensitive and inappropriate and that it could endanger not only Dela Cruz, but the Thomasian community as well.
Several students also asked the UST Central Commission on Elections for accountability regarding the question that was raised during the live broadcast. F
