The University of the Philippines (UP) has slammed another "misleading" post of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) featuring a certain Michael Eric Castillo who was named a “professor” at the University.
In a statement on Tuesday, UP clarified that Castillo is no longer affiliated with the University as a faculty member. He served as a part-time senior lecturer in the Diliman campus from 2013 to 2017 only, contrary to the AFP post referring to him as a UP professor.
In a series of Facebook posts, the AFP Civil Relations Service (CRS) quoted Castillo who expressed his support for the abrogation of the agreement between the University and the Department of National Defense (DND) which prohibits state forces from entering UP campuses without notifying school officials.
In one of the posts, Castillo was also quoted saying that a "silent majority" in the UP community is supporting the termination of the 1989 UP-DND Accord.
The premier university urged the AFP to take down the said posts which include a photo of Castillo, as well as the University seal, which they said violated its rules and policies and misrepresented the UP community.
"This post violates the rules and policies of the University of the Philippines regarding the unauthorized use of the UP seal, the UP Oblation, and the UP colors. This is not an official UP post, and the use of official UP symbols is inappropriate and improper," it added.
"We urge that this post be taken down and a clarification on the use of official UP symbols be issued to prevent further misinformation. To do otherwise is a disservice to both UP and the AFP," the University emphasized.
Meanwhile, the UP-National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) also condemned the AFP's move, adding that it is a blatant attempt to misrepresent the UP community by "misappropriating UP's logo, peddling opinion as fact, and generally releasing information without proper verification of its sources."
The NCPAG noted that it is supporting the University's position that the 1989 DND-UP Agreement should not have been abrogated and dialogues should take place to find a common ground that will honor and respect the mandates of both institutions.
"We cannot serve the interests of the nation without the university's Constitutional right and responsibility to exercise academic freedom," it said.
"The praxis of Public Administration and Governance requires a conducive learning environment where critical and progressive thinking can thrive without constant fear and intimidation," it added.