The University of the Philippines has been touted as a bastion of freedom of expression and free speech in the Philippines. Students and teachers alike are given the free will to express ideas and thoughts.
This however was taken to a different level during the now infamous scandal known as “Lonsileaks”. It all started early on Nov. 20 when alleged conversations by members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi where leaked by a twitter account with an attachment of the alleged convos (conversations). These were shared on Reddit and other platforms to generate interest and virality despite the fact that these were neither confirmed as authentic or verified as such by any source. It was floated in the internet for netizens to devour and championed by known political critics and opponents of the Fraternity in campus. And so the twitter storm began…largely driven by a certain Iskolarspeaks, DylanTwain and several fly by night dubious twitter accounts created purposely to engage and anger the netizens. However vocal the criticisms were, these were not immediately news worthy and taken on by the legitimate press for lack of veracity.
Only when certain members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi who published their opinions on Facebook, was when some interest from a largely online press did the scandal receive any attention. Statements of similar nature and construction from organizations aligned largely with Akbayan Youth and its allied youth organizations in U.P. started coming out together with online trumpets like “Pinoy Ako Blog”, Rappler and Scoutmag. Terms like misogyny, sexual harassment, bigotry and the like were uniformly thrown into the fray. It was a coordinated and orchestrated move to place the fraternity in a negative light and force the organization to admit the convos, still unconfirmed and still largely alleged to have been made by some of its members, as theirs. The narrative was painted…and the story had to be supported and told. The fraternity members in campus issued a statement in reply that all the allegations would by addressed and an investigation would by undertaken. But this was not enough for those who already had their sights on trying to bring down the 100 year old institution.
Juan Carlo Tejano Akbayan Youth Chair denounces his fraternity and leads members to disaffiliate themselves from the Upsilon Sigma Phi
Despite any proof of its veracity, the convos were used to enrage the UP community against the Fraternity. To remove its leadership infrastructure from all three major campuses of U.P. whose USC Chairs were all members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi. The largely female and gay critics were asking for blood and spewed messages of hate on the internet. They were goaded to action by the likes of Iskolarspeaks, the dankages, UP Dark ages, dylantwain and the largely left of center Tinig ng Plaridel. This anger and rage generated by these influencers turned into action…the destruction of property, the cancellation of and shortening of exhibits and a rally that would have become violent had it not been avoided by the members of the fraternity. And all the time….the same trumpets wanted more! Now largely targeting the President of the University who was also an Upsilonian. By this time…Lonsileaks was in the news.
A female UP Student gives the bad finger
The rally at the AS parking lot. Vandals at work at the UP Promenade in the background caught by the CCTV
Damage to property
The rally at the AS parking lot. Vandals at work at the UP Promenade in the background caught by the CCTV
To further lengthen the issue, Iskolarspeaks manufactured an abduction story that he would put on his twitter account which was largely followed by the UP student community. He claimed that he was nabbed by men riding a black vios and beaten up and thereafter released. He claimed that he and his “girlfriend” received threats and posted these in his twitter account. And just like in the movies of old, he said he was released after a few hours….a little bit shaken with a broken lip and assuring his audience that he was ok. This was not reported to the Office of Chancellor Michael Tan who unwittingly or knowingly included it in his statement…validating the dubious claim which thereafter became FAKE NEWS. According to the members of the UP Police who did not want to be identified, there was no police report on the issue. On interviews with guards around the campus perimeters and based on CCTV records, there were no signs of the black vios roaming the campus. There was also no report from the UP infirmary of any reports of injured persons being taken to the infirmary on the night of the purported release. Iskolarspeaks was wagging the dog and his victim or accomplice was Chancellor Michael Tan and his deputies. To this date, nobody has actually come to the Office of the Chancellor to file an official report on this abduction claim. It heightened fear among the students in campus. It created panic among the parents in the provinces. It was fake news legitimized by an official of the University.
Iskolarspeaks prepares his audience and names the Upsilon Sigma Phi in his thread. He dares them to hire a hitman.
He builds up the drama by claiming he is being watched by men outside his dorm.
He posts further to increase the tension and builds it up
He consults a friend in media on “how to make it a national issue”
The alleged abduction reported by a friend
Iskolarspeaks is found by a friend.
The alleged abduction result
Claims the men were riding a black vios
Other detractors name the Upsilon and try to downplay the issue.
Claims to have submitted a report to the USC and not with the Chancellor’s Office
Again warns the audience about the abduction
The Report of Chancellor Michael Tan legitimizing the claims of Iskolarspeaks
GMA News and 3 other news outlets reported on this FAKE abduction.
The maelstrom continued with teachers from various departments and colleges like sociology, CSSP and Masscom calling for walkouts and using the “Lonsileaks” as assignments for their students. All this despite the fact that the convos had yet been verified and authenticated and while still under investigation. The teachers were propagating the hate. Others in law manifested that despite the hateful language contained in the alleged convos, these were private conversations that were released to the public without authority and are thus covered by the Right to Privacy laws of individuals. The debate goes on. Unknowingly and ironically….the audience who were espousing the disdain, disgust on the language contained in the alleged convos, were already using the same language found in them in their plight to convict the fraternity.
Using the issue to propel to make it a national issue
An exam on the issue
According to the statement of the Upsilon Sigma Phi, they will be conducting a thorough investigation. For a 100 year old institution, this statement should not be taken lightly as for all the bad that is written about them, one thing is sure, they deliver on their promises. As of this reporting, there are already private investigators, IT specialists and police forensically looking into the allegedly hacked or leaked convos and tracing its sources on the net with the full cooperation of the internet corporations. IT lawyers are also working on the cases that may be filed within the context of the cyber crime law. Surely this will be a test case of this law and its impact on Philippine society will be felt.
Eventually, like a clock a ticking clock…the issue found its way to becoming a national one using the same language – misogyny, bigotry, women’s rights and LGBT rights only now, their target is Duterte!
San Lorenzo Village Monitor 