surveillance sa loob ng campus, at ang media students bilang biktima

Excerpt
--posted by Francis Losaria through e-mail

Nitong nakaraang Huwebes [July 5 2007] bandang alas-sais ng gabi, habang nagkakaroon ng discussion ng Tuition and other Fee Increases [ToFI] at Commercialization of Education sa isang [General Assembly,] GA ng UP Cinema sa may CMC Veranda, isang kahina-hinalang sasakyan ang bigla na lamang tumigil sa harap ng nagaganap na GA. Ayon sa mga miyembro ng UP Cinema, nagbukas lang umano ito ng heavily tinted na bintana ngunit may itim na kurtina ito. Napansin ng ilang mga testigo ang kamera na nasa likod ng kurtina. Dahil sa takot at pagdududa, may estudyante umanong tumawag sa guard upang sitahin ang sasakyan. Kinatok ng guard ang sasakyan ngunit hindi ito nagbukas o kaya ay tumugon sa guard. Narinig na lamang ng guard ang isang pag-uusap sa loob ng sasakyan na nagsasabing “Sa Palma Hall na lang tayo magkita”. Saka lumisan ang sasakyan. Ayon sa guard, alas-singko pa lang ay umaaligid na ang sasakyang ito sa CMC . Nakuhanan ng camera ang sasakyan habang kinakatok ng guard at ng paalis na ito.

May mga initial report at imbestigasyon nang ginagawa para malaman kung saan maaring nakaugnay ang sasakyang ito. May ilang ulat na ding pumasok na may kinalaman itong saakyan na ito sa mga surveillance vehicles ng military. Lubhang nakakabahala ang insidenteng ito.

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The same van was seen near CMC the Monday a week after, this time during UP Cinema Arts Society's GA. This was the same day the three organizations mentioned above held a press conference to condemn the said surveillance.

A week after, the CMC Student Council decided to have a forum on the Human Security Act of 2007 (HSA) and release a statement condemning the Act. Right after the event, the same van was seen around UP, particularly near CMC and Cine Adarna. The guards once more tried to talk to the van drivers but were once again ignored. Witnesses decided to go to the UPD Police to have the van blottered.

The same week, the van was seen once more. UPD Police were able to halt the van but they too, were ignored.

By Wednesday, another van was seen driving around CMC, also taking still pictures of students, particularly the ones that fit the stereotyped activist. Some students believe these were just the same people using only a different van.