Claim:
Students from the University of the Philippines (UP) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) are required to attend rallies to graduate, according to self-professed ex-rebel Alvin Turero.
This post first put up a year ago went viral again this August 2020. Facebook page Huwag Tularan originally posted on August 15, 2019 a quote card containing the statement of Turero, who claimed he was involved with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and the Kabataan Partylist in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon around 2012. He also said he served as secretary-general of Anakpawis Laguna.
Turero’s supposed membership in Kabataan Partylist and affiliation with its chapters in Laguna and Quezon Province were denied on Monday, August 24. Official statements released reiterated that no Alvin Turero has ever been involved with their organization.
The post from the Huwag Tularan Facebook page had a caption and quote card that read, “‘Sa UP kasi at sa PUP, hindi ka naman pwede grumaduate ng hindi ka sumasali sa rally (In UP and PUP, you cannot graduate without joining rallies).’ – Alvin Turero, Former Rebel.”
Turero first made this doubtful claim during a Senate hearing on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on August 14, 2019. Turero’s claim was prompted by a question from administration senator Bong Go on how progressive organizations recruit university students in cities.
The post had over 25,000 shares, 15,000 reactions, and 5,300 comments as of writing. A reader emailed the post to Rappler for fact checking.
Rating: FALSE
The facts:
No official document from the two universities confirms or corroborates Tureros’ claim. The universities do not require students to participate in rallies or mobilizations for any cause, and university officials warn against this practice.
Turero also mentioned UP Los Baños during the Senate hearing, but there is no provision in the UP Los Baños Student Handbook or the UP Los Baños Faculty Manual that requires student attendance in rallies.
Student handbooks of other UP campuses such as Diliman, Manila, Cebu, and Open University also do not mention joining rallies as a graduation requirement. The same goes for the PUP System Student Handbook.
In the same 2019 hearing where Turero appeared, then-PUP President Emanuel de Guzman said that the university monitors and warns their professors against such practice. “Nagpalabas na rin po kami ng memorandum noon pa na bawal magpalahok ng mga estudyante sa mga rally, lalo na kung ito ay may kapalit na grade. At hindi rin po namin kinukunsinti ‘yung ginagawa ng mga guro na ito,” De Guzman said.
(We had released a memorandum a while back to prohibit requiring students to join rallies, especially if this is in exchange for some grade component. We do not condone teachers doing this.) – Rianna Cruz/Rappler.com
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