24/02/2026
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From 2022 to 2026, a pattern of reported intimidation, political repression, and coercive practices within the MSU - IIT ROTC unit shows consistent concern over the militarization of student spaces and the suppression of dissent. Clearly, they have engaged in a sustained assault on studentsโ academic freedom.
In 2022, during the NSTP orientation, progressive student organizations were antagonized and subjected to red-tagging. Student activism was framed as subversive, fostering an atmosphere of fear among freshmen and signaling early attempts to delegitimize critical student voices within an academic environment.
February 2023, student groups documented what they described as a normalization of a culture of violence within the ROTC program. On June 18, 2023, students of Mindanao State UniversityโIligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) were invited to a symposium later revealed to center on alleged Communist Terrorist Groups (CTG) and spearheaded by National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). During the event, the image of an MSU-IIT student and former STAND-IIT member was shown without permission, detailing her alleged affiliations and linking her to organizations such as League of Filipino Students. Other progressive groups, including Kabataan Partylist and Anakbayan, were likewise mentioned in relation to terrorism. Even commonly used terms such as โLumadโ and โBakwitโ were reportedly framed as CTG-associated language, casting suspicion on their usage. The presence of TAC-O officers from the ROTC program during this activity intensified fears that counter-insurgency narratives were being integrated into student training spaces.
Later in 2023, an ROTC instructor reportedly threw pebbles at a unit of cadets during formation, an act perceived as physical aggression. When a cadet posted about the incident online, the ROTC office allegedly used the universityโs official SMS blast system to identify and locate the student who shared the account, raising serious concerns about retaliation and misuse of institutional resources against a whistleblower.
In 2024, a Political Science student became the subject of harassment and red-tagging within the ROTC structure. A high-ranking cadet officer reportedly labeled the student as โNPAโ in a group page named โMSU-IIT,โ effectively branding him prior to any formal determination. During a subsequent formation at the MSU-IIT IDS Extension in Hinaplanon, the student was allegedly surrounded by numerous aspirants and placed in an oppressive and confrontational situation. In the course of this incident, his co-elements witnessed that he was reportedly challenged to a fistfight, with remarks such as โsumbagay na lang!โ and โsumbaga ko oh!โ directed at him, escalating the atmosphere from intimidation to overt provocation. Despite having complied with ROTC coursework requirements, he was eventually dropped from the program on grounds of alleged โlack of discipline and respect.โ The cumulative impact of red-tagging, public humiliation, threats, and confrontation compelled the student to transfer to another school, significantly affecting his academic path.
By 2025, additional revelations surfaced during a Miting de Avance, where a KASAMA senator publicly disclosed that cadets were required to go to a military camp to feed chickens and clean facilitiesโtasks perceived as unrelated to formal ROTC instruction and possibly constituting exploitative labor. Testimonies also described intimidation involving threats including the use of a pistol belt, deepening concerns about coercive disciplinary practices.
Now, in 2026, an ROTC formation was abruptly cancelled through a delayed announcement forwarded to cadets via their commanders, revealing serious lapses in communication and coordination. Many students had already traveled through heavy rain before learning of the cancellation. Despite this, those who arrived were required to remain and attend a mandatory symposium featuring a uniformed visitor discussing military entrance examinationsโan activity that, while potentially beneficial to interested students, was imposed on all cadets regardless of their personal aspirations. When some cadets voiced concerns about the situation, a platoon leader allegedly silenced them and escalated tensions by remarking, โGamay na lang sumbagon nako ni sila,โ a statement that is clearly a threat. Arguably it is an administrative negligence, coercive participation in non-academic activities, and the normalization of intimidation within a program operating inside an academic institution.
With all the oppression experienced, the student resistance should be alive at this very moment. Students should actively resist and remain militant in any forms of oppression. And for the MSU-IIT ROTC unit, what level of harassment will be next?
