Students denounce campus militarization
“The presence of the RCDG amplified red-tagging, harassment, intimidation, and the way they interact with students insinuates threatening remarks.”
By Cris Fernan Bayaga
Bulatlat.com
CEBU – The University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao student body demanded the relocation of the 11th Regional Community Defense Group (RCDG) from within university grounds.
Established in 1957, the RCDG is the unit of the Philippine Army Reserve Command in Barangay Mintal, Davao City, responsible for training and managing reservists in Eastern Mindanao and overseeing programs such as Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and Basic Military Training within the area.
It was established prior to the founding of UP Mindanao in 1995. However, since its location is only over 100 meters away from the university’s main building, students and faculty have raised concerns over alleged threats, surveillance, and harassment linked to the military’s presence.
Organizations that joined the call were the University Student Council (USC), Rise for Education (R4E)-Mindanao, and Himati, the official student publication.
UP Mindanao USC Chairperson Lara Felescoso said that as early as 2019, students had been subjected to red-tagging which targeted student leaders like former USC chairpersons Rendel Cagula and Cherry Orendain.
“The presence of the RCDG amplified red-tagging, harassment, intimidation, and the way they interact with students insinuates threatening remarks. Their attacks are now expressed even on online platforms,” Felescoso said.
On January 15, 2021, the Department of National Defense (DND) informed UP of the unilateral termination of the UP-DND Accord which previously restricted the presence of state forces within UP campuses without prior coordination.
Weeks after the accord’s revocation, on February 8, 2021, the Facebook page Kalumaran Mindanao red-tagged student journalist and UP Mindanao alumnus Jayvie Cabajes.
Since the abrogation of the accord, entries of military personnel into academic spaces have reportedly become more frequent. On February 15, 2023 at around 1 p.m., an unannounced military presence at the Administration Building was reported. Chancellor Lyre Murao later described the visit as a “courtesy call.” That same day, at 4 p.m., another group of state forces was seen in the building which officials said was related to “transportation and renovation” activities at the RCDG camp.
Student leaders said that military visibility on campus intensified after Murao assumed office in 2022.
AJ Lozano, former Himati editor-in-chief and convenor of Rise for Education-UP Mindanao, said that in February 2023, the 11th RCDG met with the chancellor regarding the potential implementation of the ROTC program on campus.
During the 2023 General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) held on August 15, 2023, an armed individual was reportedly seen roaming near the delegates’ accommodations within the university.
The following day, during a student mobilization, Davao police and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 11 interrupted the activity, allegedly harassed student leaders, and impounded jeepneys used for transportation.
A week after the congress, former Himati editor-in-chief Red Masacupan received a letter outside her dormitory stating: “Masacupan Komunista! Nakamasid kami sa iyo at sa mga kasama mo” (“Masacupan, communist! We are watching you and your companions”). The incident occurred after she was nominated for the Student Regent position to the UP Board of Regents (BOR).
Current Himati editor-in-chief Elmer John Mupas said that the publication has since documented multiple instances of state forces present in campus buildings without prior notice or coordination.
“There are times when our staffers feel they are being surveilled by state forces during and even outside media coverage. That’s why we have security protocols to ensure no one walks alone around campus,” Mupas said.
On October 24, 2025, Himati reported that six armed military personnel conducted “formation drills” at the UP Mindanao Cultural Complex. Students raised concerns after witnesses said the personnel were holding firearms facing academic spaces where students were present. One participant allegedly described the activity as practice “for fun.”
Students and alumni also reported cases of fake Facebook accounts created under their names, allegedly used for surveillance or harassment.
In the 2025 58th GASC held at UP Los Baños on August 9, 2025, the student body passed a resolution authored by the UP Mindanao All Student Councils’ Assembly calling for the relocation of the 11th RCDG.
On August 11, 2025, the UP Mindanao USC, together with the UP Office of the Student Regent (OSR) and through Kabataan Partylist (KPL) and ACT Teachers Partylist, filed a House resolution urging Congress to support the immediate relocation of the 11th RCDG and oppose the militarization of academic spaces.
During the State of the University Address (SOUA) on February 9, 2026, UP Mindanao Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Leo Estaña said that the university submitted a relocation proposal but did not receive a response from the RCDG. The proposal includes the creation of a joint technical working group between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the UP Mindanao community.
“It’s actually at the national level because there is no point in discussing it here with the RCDG, they don’t have the decision-making authority,” Estaña said in a February 10, 2026 report by Himati.
Lozano said that relocation discussions must involve UP President Angelo Jimenez, the AFP, and the DND at the national level. He also noted that administrative turnover on both sides has slowed progress.
“One of the challenges is that university and RCDG administrations change over the years. Sustaining a memorandum of agreement for relocation lacks continuity from one term to another,” Lozano said.
Felescoso said that during the SOUA, Chancellor Murao acknowledged that the RCDG’s presence on campus poses concerns regarding academic freedom and security.
“We have already submitted our relocation proposal outlining where they can be relocated, why they should be relocated, and what issues must be addressed. The RCDG has expressed reluctance to relocate, and the AFP and DND have yet to formally respond,” Felescoso said.
While the administration has expressed support for relocation, Lozano said there remains a divergence in why the RCDG must be relocated: administrators cite campus expansion needs, while students maintain that demilitarizing academic space is the primary reason.
For now, students said that they await concrete developments but insist their call for relocation remains firm. (AMU, DAA)
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