Abad hit with coins, insults at UP

MANILA, Philippines - Angry students rained boos and insults, threw coins and crumpled paper, and grabbed at Budget Secretary Florencio Abad at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City last Wednesday night.

Abad was supposed to speak at a budget forum at the UP School of Economics, along with CODE-NGO representatives.

Based on the account of youth activist Vencer Crisostomo, protesters shouted “magnanakaw (thief)” at Abad and hurled crumpled sheets of paper at the budget secretary.

In an advisory posted on his Facebook account, Crisostomo said the sheets of paper had the words “Dapat managot, Noynoy patalsikin.”

He said some of the protesters also threw coins at Abad as he left the premises, shouting: “Butch Abad, panagutin! Noynoy patalsikin.”

Crisostomo said about a hundred UP students blocked the exits of the UP School of Economics where the forum was held.

He said the students tried to stop Abad from boarding his car to leave the premises.

“Kinuyog siya, he could not easily enter his car and his vehicle was blocked. As he boarded his vehicle, a student got close and grabbed him from the back by his collar,” Crisostomo said.

President Aquino assailed yesterday the incident at UP where Abad was mobbed by protesters.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President had been informed of the incident. Aquino is in Paris, France on the third leg of his European tour to seek support from the continent’s leaders on various advocacies and at the same time encourage them to invest in the Philippines.

“He believes that as the premier university, the UP is expected to promote responsibility in the exercise of the freedom of expression and civility while engaging in political discourse,” Coloma said.

Abad and Aquino had been under fire for the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), parts of which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Aquino maintained the DAP as a mechanism expedited the implementation of various government programs and projects and helped boost the economy.

“This may be an opportune time to reassess the implications to an institution of higher learning when a political forum degenerates into mob rule,” said Coloma, quoting President Aquino.

Abad, for his part, said the incident and behavior displayed by the students were “very disappointing.”

“I have always believed that the public’s ability to voice its opposition to the government is a necessary character of a healthy democracy.

“But to do full justice to this, we must be willing to engage others in peaceful dialogue. It is incumbent upon us to appreciate the diversity of ideas that make our young democracy so unique and promising,” Abad said. – With Aurea Calica, Delon Porcalla