STUDENT groups in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines denounced the school’s Department of Psychology for partnering with Hands Off Our Children Movement Inc. to provide training and psychosocial interventions.

The PUP Psychology Community claimed that health services are being used against students who dissent.

“We, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines — Psychology Community — consists of students, organizations, alumni, and other formations express our deepest concern over the desperate attack of the Duterte administration and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict through the Hands Off Our Children,” PUP-PC said in a statement.

“The decision is outright hypocritical as they opt to connive with HOOC for mental health services while unrealizing the needs of the PUPians. The agency itself is no different from how the administration uses basic social services as a lure against youth leaders and progressives,” it added.

The group lamented that members of the PUP community continue to be victims of red-tagging.

“This should serve as a wake-up call in standing against the attacks of the administration as it endangers the students’ rights, community’s freedom, and the university’s reputation,” it said.

Earlier this week, the PUP Psychology Department and Psychology Graduate School signed a Memorandum of Understanding with HOOCM on the creation of a Psychology Extension Program.

Under the agreement, PUP will provide mental health services while HOOCM will turn over the information of students recruited by groups such as Anakbayan, Anakpawis, League of Filipino Students, and Kabataan Partylist, among others.

But PUP-PC said learners need mental health interventions “because of the university’s failure to address student’s concerns not because of their political ideologies.”

“Dissent remains the resort for the masses to fight against the attacks and state negligence and it shall never be considered as a mental illness and crime of any form.  The PUP Psychology Department should be able to reassess its stance as this is not centric on the political stance of the community but for the safety, welfare, and democracy,” the group said.

The PUP’s Alyansa ng Kabataang Mamahayag also criticized the collaboration.

It urged the PUP administration to abolish the agreement, saying it will only worsen attacks on students.