‘Makibaka, wag matakot!’ lashes back a UP student leader who’s under death threats

• UP student leader bravely faces death threat by saying Makibaka, wag matakot!
• Ralph Baguinon calls for fellow students to stay critical about the happenings in the country
• Ralph Baguinon pronounces death threat as an attack to silence progressive voices

In a Facebook post last week, University of the Philippines – Diliman Engineering student council leader Ralph Justine Baguinon shared a story about an unidentified man who visited his home and delivered a ‘death threat’ to his family.

At around two in the afternoon, a man in his early 30s, who introduced himself as part of the military, came to his house in Valenzuela with a death threat hand-written on a conspicuous piece of paper; a photo of which was attached to his Facebook post. He narrated that the man asked for his whereabouts, obtained information on the plate number of their family car, and even inquired if he was personally driving it.

His grandfather was the one who met the unknown messenger and the former became visibly upset over the man’s line of questioning and so the man hurriedly left after handing Baguinon’s lolo with his picture taken by a student publication when he joined a lightning rally at Quezon Hall, due to the sudden demolish efforts at Pook Malinis. The student-leader was immediately informed by his father about the terrifying incident.

“Malinaw na isa itong pagbabanta hindi lamang sa akin o sa aking pamilya kundi pati sa pagkilos ng mga estudyante. Ang malayang pagpapahayag ng saloobin at pagprotesta ay karapatan ng sinuman. Malinaw itong nakasaad sa Saligang Batas. Ngunit kahit na ito ang sinasabi ng Konstitusyon, hindi na bago sa buhay ng mga lider-estudyante at mga progresibong indibidwal na maranasan ang ganitong klase ng atake.

“Nakakalungkot at nakakagalit isipin na mayroong mga nagpupumilit na patahimikin ang boses ng mga estudyante’t kabataan na humihingi lamang ng kasagutan sa mga problemang dinadanas ng bansa at ng mga mamamayan nito,” wrote Baguinon in his post.

He added, “Ngayon, ako ay nananawagan sa mga kapwa kong estudyante na patuloy tayong maging kritikal sa mga pangyayari sa ating bansa. Huwag tayong magpadala sa kahit anumang pananakot, labanan natin ito. Kung ako lang mag-isa ay malamang mananahimik na lamang ako ngunit ako’y nakasandig sa sama-samang pagkilos ng mga kabataan. Palakasin pa natin ang mga panawagan para sa ating mga demokratikong karapatan. Makibaka, wag matakot!”

Many of his friends and colleagues commented on his post, wishing him safety and to stay alert at all times.