SU alumnus responds to red-tagging issue
by Alexia Hernandez
After a political forum drew public criticism last April 3, Silliman University (SU) alumnus and youth activist Jose Paolo Echavez shared his experience of “being red-tagged” and the legal actions he pursued.
Titled “The People’s Forum: On Justice, Accountability, and Good Governance,” the event discussed red-tagging, national political issues, and youth engagement at the SU Hall.
It featured Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT-Teachers) Partylist Rep. France Castro, Atty. Neri Colmenares, and Echavez, the Kabataan Partylist Negros Oriental 2nd Nominee, as the speakers.
Upon announcement, the event drew comments on insinuations of “recruitment” of students and the university not “standing by” as a non-partisan institution.
“My thoughts [is] that this is a step to brainwash our students, particularly Silliman students and be recruited. This is such a shame for a well respected university to conduct such!” one comment wrote.
Echavez recalled a previous red-tagging incident he experienced where they consulted the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region 7 and was advised to file for an official investigation.
“The officer told us to document all the details about the red-tagging incident with emphasis on getting the perpetrator’s identity, write a narrative report, and fill up an affidavit so that CHR Region 7 can file a legal case against the perpetrators, if necessary,” he explained.
In response to the recent online backlash, Echaved noted that the event itself became the subject of similar accusation.
“The red-tagging that happened in the comment sections proved the necessity of the People’s Forum,” he said. “People avoid us simply because of baseless labels.”
He added that such an incident “merits action from government agencies.”
The forum was co-sponsored by SU Faculty Association (SUFA) and the Religion and Peace Studies Department (RPSD), in partnership with Kabataan Partylist Negros Oriental and socio-civic organization Ang Sandigan.
Student’s response to red-tagging
Ang Sandigan President Antonio Jose Delicana acknowledged the online backlash received and being labeled “leftist, red, dilawan, and more.”
“We saw this as an opportunity to contribute to meaningful dialogue and critical thinking in a time clouded by disinformation,” he said.
Delicana stressed that the “lack of safeguards for students against red-tagging” remains a pressing issue.
“To the best of my knowledge, no formal university-wide policy exists to protect students from red-tagging,” he said, referring to a resolution previously passed by the SU Student Government advocating for such protection.
Alleged procedural lapses
Speculations also surfaced online about the legitimacy of the activity’s permit with university administrators questioning whether the event had followed proper procedural steps.
In a Facebook post, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadol Villordon commented that the communication letter was only forwarded to her office last March 26, just a week before the forum.
“Departmental activities, particularly of this nature, should go through the proper channels for approval including the department, college, and ultimately the VPAAR office,” Villordon stated.
However, SUFA President Jonathan Mark Te responded that they “adhered to the necessary procedures in good faith.”
“We were told no permit was needed, but we still processed the documents out of due diligence,” Te said, emphasizing that SUFA is not under the jurisdiction of Student Organizations and Activities.
Moreover, SUFA Vice President Dr. Karl Villarmea highlighted the union’s commitment and support for spaces that encourage “public discourse and government accountability.”
“This was not about pushing a single political line—it was about encouraging students to think critically about national issues,” Villarmea said.
On the other hand, RPSD Asst. Prof. Christopher Burgos explained that their collaboration with Echavez and SUFA came as the forum series expanded.
“Instead of confining the discussions to few students only, the RPSD, SUFA, Ang Sandigan, and Kabataan opened it to the greater community,” Burgos said.
He added, “As far as RPSD is concerned, as an academic unit in the university, we have been approved to conduct The People’s Forum.”
Following the discourse, the university issued a statement regarding the forthcoming elections, noting its support to conduct such events while maintaining its stance “as a non-partisan institution.”
