Gabriel Yap urges the University of the Philippines officials to stop an alleged order to impound community dogs and cats on the Diliman campus.
Animal welfare advocate Gabriel Yap has appealed to University of the Philippines (UP) officials to halt the alleged capture and impounding of free-roaming dogs and cats on the UP Diliman campus, claiming the operation could begin as early as Friday, July 10.
In a Facebook post that has drawn attention online, Yap alleged that UP Executive Vice President Dr. Caesar A. Saloma had ordered the “immediate capture and impounding of all campus dogs and cats,” citing information he said came from a concerned employee of one of the university’s offices.
Dr. Saloma is the Executive Vice President of the UP System, the second-highest administrative official after UP President Angelo Jimenez. He assumed the post on May 11, 2026.
Yap stressed that his information remains based on a source within the university and has not been independently confirmed by UP.
According to Yap, the first animals targeted would allegedly be the well-known Quezon Hall pack, including an elderly dog named “Pitbull,” who has reportedly lived peacefully on campus for years. He described the dogs as vaccinated, neutered, and familiar to many students, faculty members, and employees.
“He is at least 13 years old at this point. He is weak and his health is already failing,” Yap wrote as he pleaded for compassion, saying he feared the dog could spend its final days in an animal pound.
The advocate also claimed that the Quezon Hall dogs had previously been confined in a temporary cage during major university events, including LoveLaban and the recent UP graduation ceremonies, allegedly to keep them away from large crowds. He expressed concern that what he believed to be temporary measures could now become permanent impoundment.
Yap said he personally drove from Bonifacio Global City to UP Diliman in an attempt to relocate Pitbull to a temporary safe location. He also appealed to the public and animal welfare organizations to help foster the remaining dogs before any alleged capture could take place.
“The UP campus animals are part of the community,” he wrote. “The community you were appointed to protect and serve.”
He tagged Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, the Quezon City Government, Community Animals Partners and Welfare Advocates UP (CAPWA UP), FOCA UP, Utak at Pusa, and the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), and various media outlets hoping to draw attention to the situation.
As of posting, UP has yet to issue a public statement confirming or denying the alleged order to capture and impound campus animals.
radar will update this story should the university release an official response.
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