How an allegory on the Dutertes led to the shutdown of UM’s Primum

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 March) – An allegory on the Duterte patriarch and his daughter Sara led to the takedown of the post, the resignation of the editorial board and eventually, the shutdown of Primum, the student publication of the University of Mindanao (UM), the largest private, non-sectarian university in Mindanao. 

“Ang Alegorya ng Mananakbo” (The Allegory of a Runner), authored by Silakbo, the writer’s pseudonym, was posted on February 20 on the Facebook page of Primum, two days after Vice President Sara Duterte announced in a press conference that she was running for President in 2018. 

MindaNews sources said that by evening, the post was taken down, on orders of two University officials who allegedly reminded the staff to “be apolitical” or face the risk of revocation of scholarships and the shutdown of Primum. 

MindaNews sought the two officials for comment on Saturday but they sent no response. But one of them relayed a message to this reporter through a friend that the interview request could not be granted because there is already a spokesperson. Asked who the spokesperson is, there was no reply.

^{Screenshot of the February 20, 2026 post of the University of Mindanao on “And Alegorya ng Mananakbo,” accessed at 3:35 p.m. on Sunday, 15 March 2026. This post was taken down from the Primum Facebook page.}

UM, which has 40,000 students, 28,000 of them at the main campus here, has yet to post a statement on the issue but it reactivated the Facebook page of Primum on March 14 with a call for applicants to fill in the posts vacated by the editorial board that resigned en masse amid allegations of censorship. 

Allegory is a narrative device that allows a writer to convey a deeper message about real events using a symbolic story.

The four-paragraph Ang Alegorya ng Mananakbo (The Allegory of a Runner) alluded to Sara’s running for President and the earlier comments of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, that the Presidency is “not for women.”

It also described the runner as one who could outpace Lydia de Vega, Asia’s Fastest Woman” in the 1980s, because she could run away fast from all her problems and the problems she caused. 

^{And Alegorya ng Mananakbo posted on Primum on February 20 can still be googled but on clicking the link, this is the message: “This content isn’t available right now”}

The post was taken down on February 20 and has not been revived in the reactivated Primum when MindaNews checked the page on Sunday afternoon. 

But as of 3:35 p.m. on Sunday, MindaNews found Ang Alegorya ng Mananakbo on the Facebook page of the University of Mindanao itself, posted there at 10:35 a.m.  on February 20.  The accompanying illustration by McQueen and layout by Shayra Crespo, however, is missing. 

Ang Alegorya ng Mananakbo

Below is the entire text of “Alegorya” which was originally posted by Primum on February 20 and taken down by evening. This post is from UM’s Facebook page as of 3:35 p.m. on Sunday. 

Ang Alegorya ng Mananakbo
sulat ni Silakbo 

Ayon sa pagsasalaysay ni tatay “Ito’y hindi trabaho ng babae”ngunit wari ako’y may pagka-pilya, tatakbo ako na naaayon sa aking nais kahit ‘di naman ako ganun kagaling— ay este, trip ko lang, at bakit hindi?

Noon pa lamang nakaupo si tatay sa palasyo, siya’y gigil na gigil na sa kakayahan ng mga babae— pawang lahat ng mga kung anu-anong salita ay nais niyang bigkasin para lang maliitin ang sangkababaihan. Hilig niyang magmura—talo pa ang bilihin sa gulayan at presyo ng bigas kung tutuusin. Kung may mga babaeng nagnanais siyang angatan, siya’y nagaalboroto sa galit, datapwat pagdating sa akin, ako’y mahal na mahal niya— espesyal kumbaga.”

Hindi rin nakakapanibago ang kagustuhan kong tumakbo. Akalain mong pwede kong matalo si Lydia De Vega sa takbuhan na sa sobrang bilis ko, lahat ng problema ko’t problemang naidudulot ko’y tinakbuhan ko. Mananakbo kung ako’y tawagin—kinahihiligan ko kahit ‘di naman ako para talaga sa larangang ito.

Ika nga ulit ni tatay “Magkabia ang emosyonal na disposisyon ng babae at lalaki”, pilit niyang iginigiit na ang takbuhan ay hindi para sa babae. Katotohanan nga ba na ang kababaihan ay mahina sa takbuhan? Gayunpaman, nais ko talagang ibida ang aking sarili sa karera ng pagtakbo. Ikakagalit ba ni tatay kapag siya’y aking sinuway? Susubukan ko lang—at bakit hindi? 

Translated to English, it says: 

The Allegory of a Runner
written by Silakbo 

My father said the Presidency is not for women but I am a bit naughty, I will run according to my wish even if I am not that good – oh, it’s just my trip, why not? 

When father was still sitting in the Palace, he was overwhelmed by the abilities of women – he uttered different words to belittle women. He is used to cursing — his curses cheaper than the price of vegetables and rice. If there are women who want to lift him up, he would be very angry, but with me, he loves me very much, special, so to speak. 

My desire to run is not new.  You’d think I could beat Lydia De Vega in a race because I am so fast, I run away from all my problems and the problems I caused. They call me a runner —  I like it even if I am not suited for this field.

As my father said, “The emotional disposition of women and men is different,” he insists that running is not for women. Is it true that women are weak runners? Nonetheless, I want to dedicate myself to running. Would Tatay get mad if I disobeyed him? I will just try – why not? 

More demands for takedowns between February 20 and March 10 happened, including posts of news reports and photos of rallies held on the 40^th anniversary of People Power on February 25, and  reminders to “be apolitical,”  but the campus writers refused to comply, eventually leading to the resignation of the editorial board.  

On March 10, Primum disappeared from Facebook, resurrected four days later with a call for applicants to fill the seats vacated by the editorial board. 

“The antidote is collective courage”

In its statement, the UM Debate Society minced no words. “Let us call this what it is. Censorship. Censorship doesn’t only exist in outright bans. It also appears when editorial independence is undermined, when platforms are taken away, and when journalists are pushed out for exercising the very function they exist to perform,” it said. 

It added that their statement in support of the Primum staff  “may invite administrative backlash” but control survives by cultivating fear, and fear works best when individuals believe they stand alone. “The antidote is collective courage. When communities speak together, intimidation loses its power.”

“And if speaking this plainly places us next in line, if support is withdrawn or our own spaces are suddenly placed under scrutiny, then so be it. At least the record will show two things clearly. You will know who tried to silence the students and everyone will know exactly who refused to be silent,” the UM Debate Society said.(Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)