The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) defended its students and assured to protect them while they are inside its campuses.
Skimmers, an academic organization based in UPV, became a target of attacks and harassment after a video of its cheering team went viral.
“We remind them (students) to exercise prudence in their actions, thus, we denounce all forms of threats and harassment hurled against them,” UPV said in a statement.
The team’s performance tackled press freedom, the passage of the Rice Tarrification Law, the removal of Filipino from the college curriculum, and the government’s call to revive the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps ( ROTC) program for grades 11 and 12 students.
What angered the supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte was the portion of the routine which criticized the present administration’s stance on the West Philippine Sea dispute. The team chanted: “Tuta ka! Let’s kill this President, charot!”
The last line was a reference to Blackpink’s hit song “Kill this Love.” “Charot,” which originated from Filipino gay lingo, is used to denote a joke.
Skimmers emerged as this year’s champion of the university’s cheering competition held last Oct. 16. It bested 10 other academic organizations.
The competition was part of the 2019 UPV Pahampang.
“The annual cheering competition in UP Visayas is one eagerly awaited event. This unique tradition has cheers and yells that contain satirical commentaries and forays on the current national and local issues, university policies, and sometimes reproach to fellow academic groups, all in the spirit of fun, understanding, and camaraderie as it opens the sportsfest,” UPV said.
“In UP Visayas, we encourage our students to think critically and allow them to exercise their freedom of expression,” it stressed.IMT
