KABATAAN Partylist on Thursday condemned what it described as the harassment and red-tagging of 16 students from the Universidad de Manila (UDM) who joined the October 17 nationwide walkout against corruption and later formed a campus advocacy group, Anakbayan Merlions.

According to the group, the students—who participated in the protest outside school grounds without disrupting classes—are now being threatened with sanctions for alleged major violations of the university handbook.

The situation escalated after a faculty staff member allegedly red-tagged the students, accusing them of being members of the New People’s Army without basis.

“Hindi ibig sabihin na estudyante sila ay dapat mag-aral na lang sila kaysa mangialam sa problema ng korapsyon,” said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Atty. Renee Co.

“The plunder at the national level directly translates to the daily struggles of students and their families—that’s why students have every right to exercise their freedom of expression,” she added.

Co emphasized that red-tagging has no place in academic institutions.

“Universities should be bastions of democracy and critical thinking, not breeding grounds for fear and repression. This is a blatant violation of their academic freedom and constitutional rights,” she said.

Kabataan Partylist urged the UDM administration to address the concerns of its students.

The group called on university officials to drop what it described as trumped-up charges, end the practice of red-tagging, and respect students’ constitutional rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.

The partylist also appealed to the Commission on Higher Education to protect the students, citing its commitment to uphold the right to protest.

“Corruption thrives in silence,” Co added. “The courage of students to stand against corruption—whether inside campus or in society—deserves our full support and protection. Dapat silang tularan ng mas maraming kabataan, kaysa parusahan.”

Kabataan Partylist said the case of the UDM 16 reflects a broader pattern of student repression, which the group links to restrictive school policies and red-tagging narratives amplified by the NTF-ELCAC following recent corruption controversies.

The group called on the youth to remain steadfast in pushing for justice, accountability, and genuine democracy.