Fake accounts of UP students surface after protests

Fake social media accounts of University of the Philippines students have been reported following protests in its campuses, the university's Office of the Student Regent said Sunday.

This was first reported in UP Cebu, where 7 protesters and a bystander were arrested last Friday, according to the Student Regent's office.

"We are encouraging students not to panic and instead help each other in reporting suspicious accounts only. We just need to stand together against possible tactics seeking to silence our voice. Stay safe everyone," it said in a statement.

"We are hoping that this is a glitch in the system only and can be resolved as soon as possible. However, let it be clear that we will not tolerate any misleading content posted on any account that will endanger our students."

Aside from students, fake accounts of faculty members and alumni also surfaced Sunday.

All have no photos and posts.

“We think they got our names from the online petition that we signed or our posts about the anti-terror bill,” said one student.

The police in Cebu arrested 7 protesters and a bystander during Friday's rally against the new anti-terrorism bill in front of the UP Cebu campus, citing alleged violation of general community quarantine guidelines.

The protesters were identified as Jaime Paglinawan, Dyan Gumanao, Johanna Veloso, Bern Canedo, Nar Porlas, Al Ingking and Janry Uban, while the bystander was identified as Clement Corominas.

Gumanao and Ingking are alumni of UP Cebu. Paglinawan belongs to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan - Central Visayas. Veloso is affiliated with the National Union of Students of the Philippines. Canedo, of the Youth Act Now Against Tyranny - Cebu, and Porlas, are UP Cebu students. Ubal is from the Food Not Bombs Cebu.

On Saturday, police filed a criminal complaint against them at the prosecutor's office for unlawful assembly, disobedience and violating Republic Act 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

“Our legal team is still evaluating what counter charges to file. But definitely we are working on that. As of now, we are focusing on how we can post bail,” said King Perez, one of the members of the legal team for the so-called Cebu 8.

--With reports from Annie Perez, ABS-CBN News