Students walk out of classes, decry tuition hikes, budget cuts in state universities

Local

DEFYING threats of red-tagging and harassment, over 300 students from major Cebu universities walked out of their classes on Monday, March 17, marching through the city’s streets to demand accountability from the government.

Students from the University of San Carlos (USC), Cebu Normal University (CNU), and University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu gathered at Fuente Osmeña Circle, chanting against government repression, tuition hikes, and budget cuts in state universities.

Leading the protest, Kabataan Partylist’s second nominee, Jose Paolo Echavez, called for the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte over his "tokhang" drug war.

Echavez told the media that because of tokhang, it resulted in the deaths of more than 150 young Filipinos, including 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in 2017.

Delos Santos killed by police in a 2017 anti-drug operation in Caloocan City, sparking national outrage. CCTV footage showed officers dragging him to an alley before shooting him, contradicting police claims that he fought back.

He also condemned Duterte’s red-tagging and the Anti-Terrorism Law, which he argued had endangered student activists.

Protesters also criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for perpetuating the policies of Duterte’s drug war and failing to address corruption.

Calls for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment intensified as students accused her of misusing public funds during her time as education secretary.

Student repression

Beyond national issues, student leaders decried repression within their universities.

Hans Noel Balila, USC Supreme Student Council president, denounced the exclusion of student representatives from policymaking bodies, asserting that students have long demanded recognition for their council and student publication.

"This walkout is our show of force to the administration that we do not take these matters lightly and want our demands addressed now," Balila said.

The calls for Duterte’s arrest intensified following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to move forward with its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during his war on drugs.

Human rights groups and international watchdogs have linked Duterte to 30,000 of extrajudicial killings, many of which involved young victims who were denied due process.

Meanwhile, Vice President Sara faces an impeachment complaint over allegations of fund misuse while leading the Department of Education.

Lawmakers and student groups have questioned the confidential funds allocated to her office, demanding transparency and accountability.(MyTVCebu)