THE camp of Davao City Mayor-elect Sebastian "Baste" Duterte disowned a Facebook post using his name and urging to shut down the University of the Philippines (UP).
"Can someone help create a page where we sign a petition to shut down the University of the Philippines?" the page Baste Duterte wrote, with the URL https://www.facebook.com/bastedu30 posted on Friday, May 13.
The poser account suggested to rename UP to Bagong Pilipinas University or BPU wherein the Citizens Army Training (CAT) and Reserved Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is mandatory.
The page already clarified in its About section as not owned nor affiliated to the incumbent vice mayor.
As of Saturday evening, 11 p.m., the post already had more than 48,000 reactions, 5,000 comments, and 11,000 shares.
Without directly responding to the said post, Duterte, in his official page as vice mayor (https://www.facebook.com/vmbaste), on the same day, posted an advisory, warning the public against social media accounts pretending to be the vice mayor or his office.
"Reminding everyone to be mindful of social media accounts and pages pretending to be Vice Mayor Baste or representing the Davao City Vice Mayor’s Office," the incoming mayor said.
Aside from the vice mayor's official page, he also said that Duterte has other pages, his personal Facebook page Sebastian "Baste" Duterte with a blue verified account icon (www.facebook.com/basteduterteofficial), and his personal account Sebastian Duterte (www.facebook.com/sebastianzduterte).
Both training courses were mandatory in the past, but CAT, a training course for fourth year high school students, has been tweaked, while ROTC, which used to be 12 units in college, has become optional since 2002 when then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed a law replacing it with the National Service Training Program, or community service course.
Duterte's sister, incumbent Davao City Mayor and presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, has lobbied earlier for the mandatory rendering of military service for all Filipinos 18 years old and above if elected in the position.