11/03/2026
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ| We see what happened, and we refuse to pretend otherwise.
Recent events surrounding the Universityโs official student publication culminated in its eventual deletion. What should have remained an independent editorial platform was instead subjected to pressure that ultimately dismantled its ability to operate.
Let us call this what it is. ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ.
Censorship doesn't only exist in outright bans. It also appears when editorial independence is undermined, when platforms are taken away, and when journalists are pushed out for exercising the very function they exist to perform. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น. A censored press weakens scrutiny, shields institutions from accountability, and denies the public access to information necessary for informed judgment.
Student press is not merely a communication outlet. It is a training ground for critical inquiry, civic participation, and intellectual independence. Removing its agency sends a clear message to the student body that dissenting opinions are unwelcome.
The timing makes this even more alarming. The Philippines continues to grapple with recurring corruption controversies that demand constant public scrutiny. Women in public life are still subjected to degrading sexist remarks, as seen in the recent controversy involving Congressman Suntay. Internationally, the escalating conflict involving United States and Israeli strikes on Iran reminds us how narratives around power and violence are contested in real time. In moments like these, silence becomes complicity. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐.
The UM Debate Society stands in solidarity with the editorial board of PRIMUM because we recognize this struggle. We know what it means to lose platforms. Debate, at its core, depends on the existence of spaces where ideas can be tested openly and without fear. Yet we too have experienced moments where those spaces became uncertain, where the platforms meant to host discourse could be withdrawn, restricted, or placed under pressure. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ.
Our struggle therefore runs parallel. Student journalists fight for the right to publish. Debaters fight for the right to question. Both depend on the same principle that ideas must be allowed to confront power without intimidation.
We are aware that speaking openly carries consequences. This post itself may invite administrative backlash. But control survives by cultivating fear, and fear works best when individuals believe they stand alone. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ. When communities speak together, intimidation loses its power.
For this reason, we call on fellow students and organizations across the university to do the same. Release your statements. Express your positions. Let this moment become a record that the student body did not remain silent. We refuse to be sidelined.
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ, ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐. ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐. ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐.
Proud to Oppose!
-mum
