27/01/2026
THE YOUTH WILL NOT BE SILENCED! HANDS OFF WAKS BUENAFLOR!
Unity Statement of Condemnation on the Filing of Sedition Charges Against UPD USC Chairperson Buenaflor
The Office of the Student Regent, student councils, publications, organizations and Iskolar ng Bayan across the UP System strongly condemns the filing of sedition and inciting to sedition charges against UP Diliman University Student Council Chairperson and KASAMA sa UP Executive Vice Chairperson Joaquin Buenaflor, other student leaders, student journalists, and sectoral representatives who participated in the anti-corruption protest held on September 21, 2025.
The filing of these charges reveals the direction of state power today: one that treats dissent as criminal, and those practicing their democratic rights as threat.
These cases that were filed on multiple occasions and are anchored on baseless and politically motivated accusations are not isolated legal actions. They form part of a broader pattern of intimidation, harassment, and suppression of democratic rights. The revival of sedition as a weapon against critics was crafted not to serve justice, but to silence the people.
The right to protest, to organize, and to speak truth to power are not privileges granted by the state but are fundamental democratic rights. In a university that upholds academic freedom and social responsibility, the participation of students and journalists in mass actions against corruption must be recognized as a legitimate expression of political engagement, not grounds for persecution.
The Office of the Student Regent together with formations and individuals across the UP System affirms that student publications, councils, and organizations play a crucial role in safeguarding transparency, accountability, and people’s interests. Attacks against them are attacks against press freedom, student representation, and the democratic character of the University of the Philippines itself.
We therefore call on the UP Administration and the Board of Regents to take a clear and principled stand in defense of our students and constituents. The University must not remain silent while its students are subjected to fabricated charges and legal harassment for exercising their rights.
We likewise reiterate our firm opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Law, which continues to provide the framework for red-tagging, surveillance, and the criminalization of activism. Instead of pursuing accountability for corruption, the state once again chooses to target those who expose it.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his corrupt administration must be held accountable for using the machinery of the state to silence dissent instead of addressing the corruption within their own ranks, even his own. The filing of sedition charges against students, journalists, and activists who participated in legitimate anti-corruption protests exposes a government more afraid of public scrutiny than committed to justice. No amount of intimidation can suppress a youth and a people determined to defend democracy, accountability, and genuine public service.
The whole UP System Community stands in solidarity with Joaquin Buenaflor, all student journalists, activists, and sectoral leaders facing these unjust charges. We demand the immediate dismissal of all sedition cases, an end to political persecution, and the protection of democratic rights.
The youth will not be silenced.
The Iskolar ng Bayan will not be intimidated.
Hands off student leaders!
Ibasura ang mga kasong sedisyon!
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