Solon faces campus editors’ wrath

A group of school campus editors blasted Camarines Sur Representative Luis Raymond “LRay” Villafuerte for allegedly attacking a school paper that published a poll result showing him trailing his political rival by a wide margin.

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), a nationwide alliance of campus publications, said in a statement Sunday that Villafuerte is accusing “The Spark,” the official campus publication of the Camarines Sur Polytechnic College (CSPC) Nabua Campus, of rigging the results of its own mock poll.

Villafuerte was reportedly upset by the results of the mock election, held from 1 to 7 December 2024, which showed him losing “by a large margin” to rival Bong Rodriguez of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Villafuerte singled out The Spark associate editor Fernan Matthew Enimedez, citing his affiliation with the Leni-Kiko 2022 electoral campaign.

“The Guild strongly asserts that Villafuerte’s response to the harmless mock poll is a direct attack against CSPC constituents’ freedom of expression and information. This vile harassment of student publications reflects a non-isolated issue of censorship that deprives communities of the truth,” the CEGP said.

“Moreover, his irresponsible remarks against Enimedez set a dangerous precedent for self-serving political figures who violently suppress free speech and tolerate a culture of impunity. With the election period fast approaching, political harassment has become a major threat, affecting institutions that expose threats to peaceful and honest elections,” the guild added.

The school editors said the Villafuertes owe the people of Camarines Sur more than what the lawmaker claims they did for CSPC and the province.

“It is the unconditional mandate of elected public officials to secure the welfare of their constituents. These series of attacks only signal the end of his political ambitions, devoid of genuine concern for his fellow CamSureños,” the CEGP said.