The University of the Philippines (UPD) Office of the Chancellor on Friday, Dec. 1, condemned red-tagging, stating that such actions "may violate freedom of speech."
In a released statement, UPD expressed its unwavering commitment to protecting the community from red-tagging, which is perceived to hinder its rights to criticize and voice concerns.
"UP's activism is a long-standing tradition that has defended the Filipino people amid the government's noncommittal stance on important social issues," the UPD Office of the Chancellor said.
The statement further highlighted that red-tagging infringes upon academic freedom — a crucial aspect that allows the university to teach, study, and produce without state interference or influence from parties with selfish interests, according to UPD.
"A university without academic freedom ceases to be a university and instead becomes a servant of the highest and most powerful bidder," asserted UPD.
The university also emphasized its dedication to maximizing scholarship contributions to society's development while safeguarding its freedom.
"We demand an immediate halt to red-tagging and similar forms of intimidation against our faculty, students, staff, and community members," UPD said.