President Rodrigo Duterte INQUIRER / JOAN BONDOC
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened to kick out University of the Philippines (UP) students who continue to hold protest actions against his administration and replace them students from the lumad or cultural minorities from Mindanao.
Duterte鈥檚 reaction came after several students of UP Diliman walked out of their classes to participate in the National Day of Walkout Against Tyranny and Dictatorship that was organized by progressive groups.
鈥淯P鈥hey want to walk out. You do not go to school anymore. That鈥檚 the people鈥檚 money. I鈥檇 be happy to reconfigure the view there,鈥� Duterte said in a speech in Davao City.
He noted that UP students frequently walked out of their classes although government was subsidizing their education.
鈥淓arlier today, they walked out. Go ahead. If you don鈥檛 want to go to school, get out of there because I will bring (indigenous) students who are bright and put them there,鈥� the President said.
鈥淎 lot of Filipinos want to have an excellent education,鈥� he added.
Duterte said he would give protesting UP students the 鈥減rivilege鈥� of not going to school for one year.
鈥淪o those who frequently demonstrate and walk out of their classrooms, I will give you the privilege of one year of not going to school,鈥� Duterte said.
鈥淚 will let in those Filipino who were not able to get a chance to have an excellent education. It鈥檚 free there,鈥� he said.
The President said he would also encourage lumad students 鈥渨ho are good in Math鈥� to join the Philippine Military Academy.
He also offered lumad students the opportunity to study in prestigious but expensive schools like the Ateneo De Manila University and De La Salle University at the expense of the government.
Some UP students walked out of their classrooms yesterday and called on the public to 鈥渇ight the dictatorship of Duterte.鈥�
They carried banners that said 鈥淣o to Duterte鈥檚 Dictatorship,鈥� Defend Press Freedom,鈥� 鈥淔ight Charter Change,鈥� 鈥淥ust Duterte,鈥� 鈥淯phold Civil and Political Liberties.鈥� /jpv
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