Comedian and TV host Tuesday Vargas did not mince words after reacting to a man who allegedly labeled students of the University of the Philippines as members of the New People’s Army.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, January 8, Tuesday called out the unnamed individual for dragging the country’s premier state university into what she described as shallow and irresponsible discourse.
“Do not drag the name of the school into your feeble-minded arguments,” she wrote.
She stressed that UP students—often referred to as iskolar ng bayan—should not be casually linked to armed insurgency, urging the public to reject such narratives.
“Hindi NPA ang mga iskolar ng bayan. Huwag po tayong naniniwala basta sa ganitong kwento. Nakakahiya ka Kuya. Kilala mo kung sino ka,” she added.
In a follow-up comment on her own post, Tuesday said she initially considered tagging the man she was referring to but decided against it.
“Ita-tag ko na sana kaso in bad form kasi di tayo dapat pumapatol sa PWD. Pero Kuya naman, napaka-babaw ng argumento mo at isang lupon pa ng mga di nag-iisip din ang kasama mo sa comsec na nakiki-isa sa iyo. Umayos ka!” she wrote.
Many netizens rallied behind Tuesday, echoing her frustration over what they described as an outdated and harmful narrative. Some comments pointed out that UP students frequently engage in fieldwork and community immersion as part of their academic training, while others criticized the persistent “red-tagging” of students and activists.
A commentary from Daily Tribune also weighed in on the issue, emphasizing UP’s long-standing role in national development.
“The University of the Philippines has, since 1908, produced generations of successful professionals and is widely regarded as the country’s premier university,” the outlet wrote.
It added that students conducting fieldwork outside urban centers should not be viewed with suspicion. “UP has always trained people to go where the work matters, not where it’s most comfortable.”
The commentary warned that remarks equating education or activism with insurgency contribute to a dangerous culture of red-tagging, which has historically placed students, academics, and advocates at risk.
