'Red Wednesday' commemoration confuses netizens

MANILA, Philippines— Some online users on Wednesday mistook the commemoration of "Red Wednesday" as a gesture of support for the University of the Philippines' Fighting Maroons, who won the UAAP Season 81 semi-finals game that night.

On Wednesday, three Catholic universities, including UP’s rival, Adamson University, lit up the façades of their schools red for the #RedWednesday campaign. This campaign seeks to spread awareness of the persecution of Christians worldwide.

Two other universities, De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas, also illuminated their buildings red for the campaign.

This move, however, sparked speculations that these schools were cheering on UP as the university’s victory coincided with the commemoration of Red Wednesday.

The UP Fighting Maroons made a historic win on Wednesday by making it to the UAAP finals after a 32-year drought.

De La Salle alumni and sports columnist Quinito Henson also tweeted about the DLSU building being lit in red for the UP victory.

Some pages including UP Manila retweeted Henson and thanked DLSU for supposedly cheering on their university’s triumph in the UAAP. The university, however, deleted the tweet after DLSU’s publication, The La Sallian, posted an explanation on why its façade was lit red.

For his part, Henson admitted his mistake and has since deleted his tweet. He said the photo of DLSU’s building was just sent to him via messaging app.

“Yes, I admit I made a mistake in thinking La Salle lit up Taft building to honor UP’s win-I apologize-but after the win, I thought the lighting took a different meaning-I don’t speak for DLSU yet I know every greenblood would relish the thought of honoring UP with the gesture,” Henson wrote.

Despite this, some netizens and pages still posted about the universities supposedly cheering on UP by lighting up their buildings.

"DLSU lowkey cheering against ADMU," UAAP-NCAA memes Facebook page wrote on its caption.

 AdU, DLSU, UST all posted photos of their participation in the Red Wednesday campaign.

“We stand in solidarity with our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters worldwide,” UST said.

UNIVERSITY: The facade of the St. La Salle Hall is lit up in red in support of #RedWednesdayPH, a campaign by the Aid to the Church in Need. The campaign aims to spread awareness about Christian persecution worldwide and to honor those who have been persecuted for their faith. pic.twitter.com/KDYkGKiRaL

— The LaSallian (@TheLaSallian) November 28, 2018

LOOK: UST's historic Main Building and Arch of the Centuries light up in red as the University joined the commemoration of persecuted Christians on Red Wednesday. #RedWednesdayPH

(Photos by Enrico Miguel S. Silverio/The Varsitarian) pic.twitter.com/52R2EsDHpR

— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) November 28, 2018