Controversial evangelist Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Buhangin, Davao City-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ made a statement during his May 15 Sunday service, accusing the University of the Philippines (UP) and other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) of being “recruitment agencies” of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).  

Aired live via the program “Sounds of Worship” on the church-owned Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) channel and through their social media platforms, Quiboloy slammed student activists for “not being generous” as they protested and urged a walk-out in response to President-Elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President-Elect Sara Duterte-Carpio’s win in the recently concluded 2022 National Elections.  

He also suggested the closure of these schools to prevent protests, strip student activists of their “scholarship,” and stop what he called “the vicious cycle” of student recruitment inside their respective campuses to join the communist front. Instead, he proposed restructuring UP as a private university that does not require government subsidy.  

CLAIM:  
UP and other SUCs are ‘recruitment agencies’ of the CPP-NPA-NDFP

RATING:
FALSE 

FACTS: 
Allegations of communist recruitment inside academic constitutions have intensified following announcements of a walk-out protest by students and progressive groups on the return of the Marcoses. The protests also condemned the numerous electoral irregularities and fraud that were reported by election watchdogs.   

University students from UP, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, and De La Salle University, among others expressed their intention to join the walk-out in response to the election results. 

Quiboloy, who has publicly endorsed the Marcos-Duterte tandem ahead of the campaign for national positions, is not alone in his assertions against the student walk-out. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. blamed school administrations for such activities that he called “dangerous” to students, which could create vulnerability for recruitment by the New People’s Army. 

NTF-ELCAC, through its acting spokesperson for Legal Affairs Prosecutor 2 Flosemer Chris Gonzales, also condemned the demonstration in front of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Intramuros, Manila, the day after the election, which was conducted mainly by students following announcements of a walk-out the night before. The statement used trems such as “disgruntled” and “unruly mob” to describe the protesters. While not directly referring to any organization, they also urged the protesters not “…to be used and exploited by anti-government elements to advance their selfish agenda.” 

 In another statement posted an hour later, Gonzales expressed a “call for vigilance” against what they view as attempts to disrupt peace by the CPP-NPA-NDF and “allied front organizations” after the elections.  

Student leaders, in response, asserted that every Filipino has the Constitutional right to protest as mandated in Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, which states: “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” 

COMELEC also welcomed the protests, with Commissioner George Garcia saying that the Body “should accept” such criticism. 

Addressing claims of communist infiltration in demonstrations following the elections, the UP President’s Advisory Council released a statement that condemned pronouncements from Esperon and the NTF-ELCAC, calling such claims “baseless” and “paranoid”. It added that such statements diminish the importance of protests as a democratic exercise. 

 “Such statements maliciously misrepresent legitimate forms of protests as “breeding grounds for terrorist recruitment,” violate civil liberties and carelessly endanger our students in their democratic exercise of constitutionally protected freedoms,” the statement read. 

WHY IT MATTERS: 
The student-led protests and walk-outs are part of the bigger condemnation of the campaign and eventual win of the son of the dictator and former President Ferdinand Marcos and the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose controversial “war on drugs” that killed thousands of civilians through extra-judicial killings have been investigated by the International Criminal Court. 

The protesters also condemned the conduct of the election despite COMELEC’s claims that it has been “honest, orderly and generally peaceful”. Electoral watchdog Kontra Daya reported irregularities and fraud in the conduct of the May 9 elections.  

Quiboloy’s statements against the protesters were part of his preach during the church’s Sunday service on May 15, broadcasted live on SMNI and their social media platforms. The live stream for the service was viewed around 30,000 times, with over 4,300 reactions, and an estimated 10,000 comments.  

SMNI News’ Facebook page posted a 12-minute portion of the service where he slammed the protests after the elections, with the caption: “Pastor Apollo, nais ipasara ang SUCs na naging recruitment agency ng communist rebel groups.” This video has gained 21,642 reactions and 2,900+ shares.  

SMNI News also picked up the story for their mid-day Sonshine Newsblast newscast the following day. The Facebook stream garnered 1,170 reactions and 16,000 views. – Dan Navarro  

Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.

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