Movement Against Tyranny Cebu

Movement Against Tyranny Cebu The Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) is the broadest alliance against impunity, and disregard to the rule of law as attack to national freedom and democracy!

The Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) is an alliance of groups and personalities that aims to unite all freedom loving Filipinos against tyranny and build a broad front to counter the increasing fascism and militarist rule of the Duterte government. The Movement aims to break the culture of impunity and the fear, silence and acquiescence that have followed Pres. Duterte's brutal “war on drugs”, “all-

out war” approach to armed conflicts, and declaration of martial law in Mindanao. These strong-arm methods have led to the gangland-style killings of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects and the summary ex*****on of scores of activists from the ranks of peasants and indigenous peoples. They have caused devastation, forced evacuations and other human rights atrocities in civilian communities subjected to aerial and artillery bombardment and other destructive military operations. The Movement opposes fascist measures such as the demonification of human rights victims and defenders as “terrorists”, “drug addicts, pushers and/or coddlers”, “extortionists” as well as the use of redbaiting to muddle issues and justify extrajudicial killings and other atrocities. It seeks to end the policy of filing trumped-up cases against critics and activists, leading to illegal arrests and the prolonged, unjust detention of hundreds of political prisoners. The Movement aims to resist the continuing attempts to undermine, pressure or otherwise render ineffective the courts, Congress, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Human Rights, the working press, the political opposition and ordinary citizens critical of government policies and programs.

25/02/2026

The Urban Studies Program of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS), in collaboration with the Political Science & Public Affairs and the University of the Philippines Political Science Society (UPPSS), are hosting a public forum together with Professor Julio C. Teehankee, PhD of the De La Salle University, a leading scholar in political science, who will lead us into a forum entitled “The Dynastic Dilemma: Prospects of Reform for the 20th Congress”.

📍The forum will take place at the Performing Arts Hall (PAH), UP Cebu, on February 26, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

ABOUT THE FORUM:

This presentation analyzes the likelihood of enacting an Anti-Political Dynasty Law in the 20th Congress, a legislative body in which political dynasties hold 83% of Senate seats, 81% of House District seats, and 51% of Party List seats. Drawing on Karl Marx’s The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, we posit that while legislators possess agency, their capacity to reform is constrained by "inherited circumstances"—specifically, the material and social reproduction of their own power. For 39 years, this structural conflict of interest has rendered the 1987 Constitutional mandate non-self-executing. However, the recent flood control scandal has introduced volatility, challenging the modern "principalia’s" perceived immortality. As General Jose T. Almonte (2007) observed, the elite must "respond positively" to basic changes to preserve itself. Also applying Bueno de Mesquita’s (1985) expected utility model, this lecture evaluates the strategic choices facing the 22 House and 6 Senate bills to ban political dynasties. The analysis suggests that rational dynastic actors will weigh the "Maximum" reform, aimed at dismantling monopolies, against the "Minimum" compliance, aimed at defusing public anger. The presentation argues that the legislative equilibrium will likely shift not toward a total ban, but toward a "survivalist compromise"—a regulatory framework that creates the appearance of reform while preserving the core mechanism of elite reproduction.

Join us in this opportunity to take part in an engaging discussion that is highly relevant in the current state of Philippine politics.

25/02/2026

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25/02/2026
25/02/2026

Official Statement on the 40th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution

As the nation marks the 40th Anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution, the University of the Philippines Cebu affirms that remembrance must be more than symbolic. EDSA was not only a moment of unity and courage; it was a rupture in power that opened the possibility of democratic life. Yet forty years later, the work it began remains unfinished. Memory without justice is fragile, and remembrance without transformation risks becoming ritual rather than responsibility.

True commemoration demands more than ceremonies and anniversaries. It requires spaces for reflection, dialogue, and collective engagement, spaces where historical memory becomes ethical practice, and where democracy is not only studied, but lived. Education, in this sense, is not confined to classrooms; it extends into civic participation, critical consciousness, and shared responsibility for the public good.

In this spirit, the University Council, on motion duly seconded and without objection during its 28th Regular Meeting, resolved to suspend classroom instruction on 25 February 2026 to allow members of the UP Cebu community to participate in meaningful activities commemorating the anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution. This decision reflects an institutional recognition that remembrance is part of education, and that national memory must be given space within the life of the university.

The suspension of classes is not merely administrative, it is a deliberate act of civic engagement. It affirms that democracy is sustained not only through institutions, but through participation; not only through memory, but through action. It transforms commemoration into an opportunity for reflection, dialogue, organizing, and collective learning.

In anchoring the 40th year of EDSA in participation rather than ritual, UP Cebu affirms that People Power must remain a living practice, not a closed chapter. This moment calls the community not only to remember, but to recommit—to truth, to justice, to democratic responsibility, and to the continuing work of building a society where liberation is not symbolic, but real.

21/02/2026

PUBLIC FORUM | THE DYNASTIC DILEMMA: PROSPECTS OF REFORM FOR THE 20TH CONGRESS

The Urban Studies Program, in collaboration with the Political Science and Public Affairs Programs and the University of the Philippines Political Science Society (UPPSS), are hosting a public forum together with Professor Julio C. Teehankee, PhD of the De La Salle University, a leading scholar in political science, who will lead us into a forum entitled “The Dynastic Dilemma: Prospects of Reform for the 20th Congress”.

📍The forum will take place at the Performing Arts Hall (PAH), UP Cebu, on February 26, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

ABOUT THE 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗨𝗠:

This presentation analyzes the likelihood of enacting an Anti-Political Dynasty Law in the 20th Congress, a legislative body in which political dynasties hold 83% of Senate seats, 81% of House District seats, and 51% of Party List seats. Drawing on Karl Marx’s The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, we posit that while legislators possess agency, their capacity to reform is constrained by "inherited circumstances"—specifically, the material and social reproduction of their own power. For 39 years, this structural conflict of interest has rendered the 1987 Constitutional mandate non-self-executing. However, the recent flood control scandal has introduced volatility, challenging the modern "principalia’s" perceived immortality. As General Jose T. Almonte (2007) observed, the elite must "respond positively" to basic changes to preserve itself. Also applying Bueno de Mesquita’s (1985) expected utility model, this lecture evaluates the strategic choices facing the 22 House and 6 Senate bills to ban political dynasties. The analysis suggests that rational dynastic actors will weigh the "Maximum" reform, aimed at dismantling monopolies, against the "Minimum" compliance, aimed at defusing public anger. The presentation argues that the legislative equilibrium will likely shift not toward a total ban, but toward a "survivalist compromise"—a regulatory framework that creates the appearance of reform while preserving the core mechanism of elite reproduction.

Join us in this opportunity to take part in an engaging discussion that is highly relevant in the current state of Philippine politics.

19/02/2026

CLASS SUSPENSION - FEBRUARY 25

Pursuant to Memo No. CLM 2026-008 and the 28th Regular Meeting of the University Council held last February 11, classes are suspended on February 25, 2026 (Wednesday).

This suspension allows the UP Cebu community to participate in activities commemorating the anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Please be guided.

16/02/2026

The University of the Philippines Cebu hosts the Public Consultation on Anti-Political Dynasty Measures, convened by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms as part of its nationwide public hearing initiatives.

The consultation will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 NN at the Performing Arts Hall.

This activity forms part of the Committee’s continuing efforts to gather public input on proposed legislative measures on anti-political dynasties. It provides a platform for students, faculty, and members of the community to participate in informed and constructive dialogue on electoral reform and democratic governance.

The UP Cebu community and the general public are invited to attend. Kindly scan the QR code to register.

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