Anakbayan-West Visayas State University (WVSU) reported its confrontation with a member of the Student Intelligence Network (SIN) under the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) who was posing as a university student and spying on their organization. Anakbayan-WVSU got the individual to admit conducting surveillance on the organization’s members as ordered by ROTC.

“In the past five months, this individual has been closely observed due to the numerous suspicious actions he has made,” according to the group. He reportedly took many close-up photos of Anakbayan-WVSU members without permission.

The individual supposedly introduced himself to them as a College of Education student but they never saw him wear the appropriate uniform and ID. The group also obtained a photo of the individual engaged in rifle drills despite his denial of being an ROTC member.

The organization then set a meeting with “Simoun” to confront him. Here, the individual admitted that he is not a WVSU student, he is an ROTC officer, he is a student from another university, he takes photos of Anakbayan-WVSU members and sends these photos to their “office” as part of his “report.”

“As his agenda has been exposed, it is an indication of how the ROTC, the military institution and the government weaponizes fellow students to monitor, surveil, and harrass the youth–their fellow students who are just advocating for students’ rights and welfare,” according to the group. Anakbayan-WVSU expressed their anger at this practice and system.

The incident also allegedly showed how the military creates a culture of impunity and inculcate in the minds of the youth. “This rotten and backward culture and mindset will be taught to our students if mandatory ROTC is implemented,” it further stated.

They said, militarization is not the answer to the country’s education crisis. Instead of spending massive amounts of people’s money on surveillance and monitoring operations against progressives, the budget should be allocated for the development of the education sector.

Anakbayan-WVSU called on the university administration to defend the students and uphold their rights. Meanwhile, Anakbayan-WVSU and Kabataan Party-list submitted a report to the Commission on Human Rights Region 6 on February 8 and pushed for an investigation regarding the incident.