The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) expressed deep concern over the disappearance of its alumna, Patricia Cierva, and fellow youth organizer Michael Cedrick Casaño, as it urged the government agencies to "adhere to the basic tenets of democracy."  (Courtesy of UP Manila Facebook page)

The UP Manila, in a statement issued on May 27, said it is "deeply concerned" over the reported disappearance of Cierva and Casaño in the Province of Cagayan.  "We believe that our democracy, won through decades of activism and patriotism, can only be practiced to the fullest when the basic human rights of every Filipino is respected and protected, and these rights include individual safety, dignity, and freedom of speech," UPM said.  UPM also supported the appeal "Surface Patricia Cierva and Cedrick Casaño" which is currently being disseminated on social media platforms.  "We urge all concerned agencies of the government to assist in their release and ensure their safe return to their families," UPM added.  Cierva is an alumna of the Development Studies program at UPM College of Arts and Sciences. She is also a former officer of the UPM Student Council and a Secretary-General of the Katipunan ng mga Sanguniang Mag-aaral sa UP.  Casaño, based on reports, was a Kabataan Partylist coordinator in Isabela from 2013-2015 and used to study Philosophy at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP).   The UPM also condemned the "continued red-tagging, threats, and other acts" against its teachers, students, alumni, and employees. Moreover, UPM called on former and current members of its community to "speak out and join the call" for the surfacing of not just Cierva and Casaño but of all those who were "wrongly taken and arrested." *(Sonny Daanoy)*