THE Baguio City Council is standing by the University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio.
A resolution by Councilor Arthur Allad-iw and Levy Lloyd Orcales strongly condemned threats and harassment against Deign Soriano and is requesting the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Cordillera to investigate and act on the incident.
"The death threat he received after his presentation in the City Council has a chilling effect not only to himself who is doing a selfless sacrifice of environmental research but also to those potential resource persons in the future who may be invited by the august body in aid of legislation or otherwise. This cowardly act of sending anonymous text messages to environmental advocates is condemnable and must be stopped with the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to undertake the investigation of the incident to bring the perpetrator of this illegal act to justice," the resolution stated.
The measure was backed by the entire City Council during Monday's (July 27) regular session.
On July 13, Deign Soriano, a full-time biology faculty of the College of Science at UP Baguio and secretary of the All UP Academic Employees Union [AUPAEU] Baguio City Chapter, received a death threat through an anonymous text message that says: "Kung di naming matumba ang mga puno, ikaw itutumba namin."
Soriano, who is also a member of the World Wild Life Friend (WWF Philippines), appeared and presented before the City Council, together with Zenaida Baoanan, their study on the impacts of cutting down the remaining pine trees in the city.
Soriano shared information in the council that is very timely and important on the city's environmental condition vital to the public's right to know.
The UP Baguio has likewise asked Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong for a dialog after lives of students and a professor were compromised.
UP Baguio students and alumni filed an official complaint on July 10 to the City Government of Baguio, as harassment and red-tagging continues for student activists and its faculty.
They also asked the mayor for a meeting.
The letter to Magalong included a request to the City Government to conduct proper investigation on the cases and hold accountable those involved.
It also urged the City Government to push forward the Anti-Political Vilification Ordinance that will ensure the safety of leaders, activists, human rights, and land defenders in the city.