ST. PAUL University Philippines in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan on Tuesday justified the expulsion of nine students, saying they were behind a campaign that vilified the school and its officials.

“The social media postings of the students have put SPUP in [a] bad light and besmirched the reputation of the school and its administrators and faculty,” SPUP said in a statement.

“By disseminating derogatory, unverified, untruthful, and uncorroborated allegations to discredit the University, the said students perpetrated acts of malicious or intentional misrepresentation of facts involving school matters,” it added.

These acts were considered major offenses under the student handbook and are punishable by exclusion, the school said.

“Actually, the acts committed by said students also constitute cyber libel but the University has not filed a criminal case, hoping and praying that these misguided students will soon realize their wrongful acts and learn how to respect the rights of other people and the institution, and practice the proper values and cyber ethics in the future,” it said.

SPUP admitted inviting the organizers of the email and social media campaign so that they can hear their side.

On June 21, students sent an anonymous email containing various demands, which include calls for an academic freeze; a transparency report on school fees; the removal of erroneous fees; non-mandatory enrollment for the summer term; and the retention of all the faculty and non-teaching staff.

SPUP said the call for the academic freeze was not possible as they are mandated by the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Education to continue despite the pandemic.

On the issue of transparency of school fees, SPUP said these documents can be viewed at their Student Information and Accounting System and assessment form.

It said enrollment for the summer term was not mandatory.

On sustaining the faculty, the administrators said the school has paid the full salaries and benefits of teachers since the start of the quarantine in March. Those who opted to leave for other reasons received their salary up until the June 30 cut-off.