Baguio council hits harassment of UP professor
BAGUIO CITY –– The city council on Monday passed a resolution condemning the threats against a professor of the University of the Philippines Baguio who has been vocal against tree cutting in the city.
Councilor Arthur Allad-iw said environmental advocate Dein Frolley Soriano, a biology professor, had received death threats recently after presenting to the city council a study on the impacts of cutting down the remaining pine trees here.
Frolley, who is also a member of the World WildLife Friend (WWF) Philippines, said he received a text containing the message, “Kung di namin matutumba mga puno, ikaw itutumba namin,” from an unknown sender.
“[This] cowardly act of sending anonymous text messages to environmental advocates is condemnable and must be stopped with the help of the National Bureau of Investigation…,” the resolution stated.
Allad-iw said Soriano attended some council inquiries where the professor shared insights on the negative impacts of cutting trees to give way to condominiums and other business establishments.
According to the council, the death threat to Soriano would have a chilling effect on other potential resource persons that the city would invite.
