Members of Today’s Carolinian (TC) and groups promoting press freedom protested at and condemned the University of San Carlos (USC) at its Talamban Campus in Cebu on January 21 for stripping the newspaper of its office. The USC administration kicked campus newspaper TC out of its office at the USC-Downtown Campus on January 15.

According to the TC, there was no dialogue and they were informed of the suddenly evicted by virtue of a posted “note” on January 17 outside their newspaper office. The note stated that the office space will be used by the Alumni Office starting January 15. Another TC office was also closed on the USC-Talamban Campus in August 2024.

“The eviction of TC from its office amid bold questioning by students regarding tuition and other fees increases is a clear violation of the democratic rights of students and communities,” CEGP national spokesperson Brell Lacerna said. According to the CEGP, the USC administration has pressured the TC before the incident.

In 2019, the newspaper was defunded following their critical publication of news regarding USC’s imposition of tuition surcharges. The USC Office of Student Formation and Activities (OSFA) also forces TC to register as a “school organization” rather than being recognized as a student newspaper. USC has imposed many other repressive policies and bans on TC and other university newspapers.

Organizations within USC have expressed strong support for TC. They recognized TC’s voice and said it was always at the forefront of reporting the truth for the students it served. “A free and independent newspaper is essential to achieving truth and safeguarding accountability,” CEGP-Cebu said.

Cebu journalists also joined the TC. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Cebu urged USC to restore TC spaces and implement the institution’s standing “core values”.

“The long-standing grievances of USC students must be addressed today, and it depends on our collective stance against the repressive education system,” Lacerna said. The spokesperson challenged the USC administration to cooperate with students and other sectors of the university, especially in the matter of raising tuition, and recognizing student councils and publications as representatives of its community.