KAISA, Alyansa bets clinch two top USC posts
#DEFENDPRESSFREEDOM
ADRIAN KENNETH GUTLAY Students stood in solidarity with Collegian writers Marvin Ang and Richard Cornelio at a protest action at the College of Mass Communication lobby, May 5. The two staffers, who were barred from taking this year’s Collegian Editorial Examination, assert that the disqualification was unjust due to irregularities in the conduct of the selection process for next year's editor-in-chief.
BEATRICE P. PUENTE WINNING THE RACE FOR THE TOP USC post by almost 4,000 votes, Jose Rafael Toribio of KAISA – Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan (KAISA UP) is set to lead the University Student Council (USC) for the next academic year. Garnering a total of 5,470 votes, incumbent USC Vice chairperson Toribio bested Emmanuel Rodriguez of UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (UP Alyansa) and John Isaac Punzalan of Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND UP), who got 1,473 and 1,395 votes, respectively. A total of 1,254 voters opted to abstain. As the elected USC chairperson, Toribio vowed to ensure that his projects would both address the needs of the students and serve the interests of the people outside the university. “After all, our mandate goes beyond serving the students - it is mobilizing everyone of us to serve the community and nation at large,” he said. Toribio will be teamed up with USC Vice hairperson-elect Kisha Marielle Beringuela of UP Alyansa. Beringuela secured a total of 3,494 votes, winning against KAISA UP’s Shara Mae Landicho who got 2,097 votes, STAND UP’s Alfrey Oria who garnered 1,537 votes, and independent candidate Jomari Jericho Dinsay who tallied 723 votes. A total of 1,743 electors abstained for the vice chairperson’s post. Beringuela attributed her win to the services she delivered as the incumbent Basic Student Services committee head in the USC. “We revamped projects and introduced a lot of initiatives this year and think because of that, the students trusted us to deliver projects and campaigns in this coming year again,” she said. Meanwhile, for the second consecutive year, another independent candidate secured the number one councilor spot, with Reiner Gallardo garnering a total of 3,927 votes. UP Alyansa’s Ian Serrano followed with 3,340 votes while KAISA UP’s Madelene de Borja got 3,141 votes. For Gallardo, the strength of his platform was key to winning in the elections, saying that safety and security are pressing matters which should be urgently solved. STAND UP got the most number of seats in the USC, securing three councilor and eight college representative posts. Apart from the vice chairperson’s post, UP Alyansa also clinched five councilor and four college representative positions. KAISA UP, on the other hand, secured three councilor seats and six college representative posts. Despite the diversity of the incoming USC, Beringuela is positive that they will still be able to forward their campaigns for the students by focusing on their points of unity. “In times like this, I think it would also be really be a perfect opportunity for all the colors to go beyond UP politics and unite against one common enemy which is, of course the macho administration that we have,” Beringuela said. Only 9,500 of the 22,155 eligible voters cast their votes in this year’s election, registering a 42.88 percent voter turnout, the lowest record for the past nine years.
Human rights activist illegally arrested, maltreated in the US PAMELA ADRIANO UNITED STATES (US) authorities detained Filipino human rights and Muslim activist Jerome Aladdin Succor Aba on April 18 over alleged problems with his visa. Aba was supposed to attend a meeting with religious and government officials, including members of the US Senate and House of Representatives in Washington DC, after being sent by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). Aba was sent to the US to discuss the human rights situation in the island of Mindanao concerning the humanitarian crisis that is happening during the current administration, according to a statement by Bayan Muna Representative Carlos T. Zarate on April 19, a day after Aba was detained at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The alleged problems with his visa as grounds for his detention have not been made clear to him by the law
enforcement organization even until now. “It was not the problem with Aba’s visa which made the CBP decide to bar him at the SFO, [rather] it was US and Philippines’ concerted effort to use repressive immigration laws to stifle freedom of expression and articulation of human rights causes,” human rights group Karapatan’s Secretary General Cristina Palabay said in a recent statement. In a press conference held back in the Philippines on April 22, Aba revealed that the CBP agents took his personal belongings, his laptop and cell phone, without his consent. He emphasized that it is already a violation of his right to privacy which is why he started asserting his human rights. Aba also said that he is not a US citizen, but he is entitled to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even if CBP agents told him otherwise while he was handcuffed. Aba also revealed the physical and psychological acts of torture he experienced while he was detained. He was ordered to undress and was then left naked in an
empty room with an electric fan turned on. He was constantly cross-examined by the CBP agents for his political affiliations and beliefs, and was accused of being a terrorist and a communist. Authorities also insulted his religion by forcing him to eat bread with ham and pork. Meanwhile, the CBP belied Aba’s stories, saying his allegations of torture and religious discrimination are false, according to Department of Homeland Security Attorney Brian Beddingfield. However, ICHRP-US completely opposed the CBP’s statement, explaining that the response of the CBP is an outrageous lie and that the US government must answer for the inhumane treatment Aba experienced at the hands of US homeland security, said ICHRP-US Chairperson Pam Tau Lee in an interview with the Collegian. Karapatan, meanwhile, challenged Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to file a diplomatic protest against the US government over the alleged physical and psychological
torture to Aba. Members of the House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc also filed a four-page house resolution regarding the case on April 26. Other international organizations outside the US also expressed concerns regarding Aba’s case. Geneva-based Observation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders showed their strong condemnation toward the detention and acts of torture done by the CBP to Aba, wanting the US government to assure “the right to freedom of movement, peaceful assembly and association of all human rights in the country.” ICHRP-US, meanwhile, called on the American people to demand that the US government led by President Donald J. Trump withdraw support to the Philippines’ Duterte government. “The collusion between the US and Duterte governments to attack human rights defenders to silence them must end,” Lee said.
Irregular court proceedings stall justice for slain Boracay Ati leader JOSE MARTIN V. SINGH
FIVE YEARS SINCE A BORACAY Ati leader was slain, his tribal organization is still left longing for justice. Boracay Ati Tribal Organization (BATO) spokesperson Dexter Condez, 26, was shot repeatedly and killed by a lone gunman in the evening of April 22, 2013. He was walking on the way to his Ati community from a meeting with nuns involved in community projects when he was shot dead. However, the incident’s case has remained stagnant due to postponement of court hearings. Every year since 2013, hearings have been moved and proceedings have been delayed due to unavailability of adjudicators. The most recent hearing in Kalibo Regional Trial Court was supposed to be held early last March but was rescheduled to July due to the absence of the presiding judge and defense lawyer, said Evangeline Tamboon, council member of BATO. The Ati Tribal Organization is left with nothing to do but wait for the prosecutor’s action, she said.
A year before the incident, Condez headed a confrontation by 20 Ati leaders against guards of Cebu-based real estate corporation J. Kings and Sons Company. The alleged perpetrator of Condez killing was Daniel Celestino, a security guard at the Crown Regency Boracay Resorts, among the hotels managed by the said real estate business. The killing happened amidst a national gun ban and midterm elections, and Celestino was imprisoned in March 2014 at the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology in Kalibo. He has not admitted to involvement in the killing while his principals also testified the same. Nevertheless, the main goal of the proceedings is to find the one who ordered to kill Condez, said Tamboon. “Napagod na kami sa pabalik-balik na proseso,” she said. It is not only our camp that gets tired, but also the primary suspect Celestino who has been in prison for four years, because his lawyer never shows up, she said. We want to have the case done with already, but the defense lawyer and the presiding judge almost never shows up, she added.
HAMON SA PERYODISMO
‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ Meanwhile, a human rights lawyers group deems that such delays in proceedings ref lect the bigger issue of the Philippines’ justice system. “[The proceedings on Condez’s death] is a classic case of ‘ justice delayed, justice denied,’” said Atty. Ephraim Cortez, secretary general of National Union of Peoples Lawyers. The length at which such cases is stalled also appears to be dubious because it takes forever for the government to prosecute them, as victims and their advocates are left to fend for themselves, said Cortez. The government has been selective as there has always been swift action to process cases against advocates and activists while the opposite is done towards cases like that of Condez, he said. “Aside from the fact that justice grinds slowly, we also have to contend with a justice system which is obviously blind to the injustices against the people,” he added. The fight continues A certificate of ancestral domain
LUCKY DELA ROSA
Nagsindi ng mga kandila ang mga mag-aaral at mga mamamahayag, kasama ang College Editors Guild of the Philippines, bilang paggunita sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kalayaan sa Pamamahayag sa harap ng Bulwagang Palma, Mayo 3. Sinasagisag nito ang paglaban sa panunupil ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa mga mamamahayag. Sa katunayan, ika-133 sa 180 na mga bansa sa tala ng Reporters Without Borders ang Pilipinas sa antas ng kalayaan sa pamamahayag. Ayon sa Center for Media and Freedom Responsibility, 157 na ang mga mamamahayag na pinaslang sa bansa magmula 1986. Iginiit din ng nasabing organisasyon na ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag ay hindi lamang pakikibaka ng mga peryodista’t aktibista kundi ng lahat ng mamamayan.
granted by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in 2011 and anthropological studies validates the Ati’s long held claim to a disputed 2.1-hectare land at a beachfront in Boracay. The Ati began being displaced from the area in the 1970s because of the intervention of tourists and investors. Condez was at the forefront of the fight to defend the said land and as such, it was pointed by local police and church officials as a possible root of his killing. Nevertheless, the Ati continue to defend their land from those who seek to take over it. “Patuloy pa rin po ang laban para sa aming lupa,” said Tamboon.
“Pagkatapos mamatay ni Dexter, kami po ang nag-tuloy ng laban. Marami na po ang tumayo na Dexter sa amin,” she said, citing the many people, whether Ati or not, who support them. The Ati, faced with many who try to claim their land, faithfully go through court hearings regarding the matter, she said. Recognizing the undue length of the proceedings on Condez’s case, Tamboon and the Ati have not lost hope and are firm in continuing the fight for justice. “Siguro kahit sobrang tagal na, kung lalabas rin ang katotohanan tungkol sa nag-utos ng pagpatay kay Dexter, mayroon pa ring pag-asa,” Tamboon said.
Regularisasyon ng mga manggagawa sa Coke, patuloy na iginigiit MARVIN JOSEPH ANG MATAPOS ANG HIGIT ISANG buwang pagwewelga, simbolikong binaklas ng higit 128 manggagawa mula sa Coca-Cola Sta. Rosa, Laguna plant ang kanilang mga kubol bilang hudyat ng kanilang regularisasyon sa trabaho, matapos mapirmahan ang Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) sa pagitan ng mga manggagawang nagwelga at pamunuan ng Coca Cola FEMSA Philippines (Coke) noong Abril 27. Kaugnay ng nasabing MOA na ito ang inilabas na Department Order (DO) 174 ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) na nag-uutos sa mga kumpanya na itigil ang “labor-only” na uri ng paggawa. Ang MOA ay nakabase rin sa napagkasunduan ng dalawang partido nang magharap ito sa presensya ng DOLE at lokal na pamahalaan ng Sta. Rosa. Sinasaklaw din ng nasabing MOA ang pagpapabalik sa mga manggagawang tumanggap na ng separation pay mula sa kumpanya, ngunit hamon para sa unyon na muling hanapin ang mga manggagawang nauna nang nakaalis, ayon kay Lito Fadriquelan, Secretary-General ng Ilaw at Buklod ng Manggagawa-Kilusang Mayo Uno. Noong Marso 21, isinarado ng manggagawa ng Coke ang planta nito sa Sta. Rosa upang ipanawagan ang kanilang regularisasyon. Higit P44 milyon ang sinasabing halagang nalugi mula sa kumpanya matapos isagawa ang malawakang welga, ayon sa tala ng unyon ng mga manggagawa sa Coke. Ngunit kasabay ng regularisasyon ng mga manggagawang ito, nakabadya pa rin ang malawakang pagtatanggal ng trabaho sa mga manggagawa ng Coke dahil umano sa pagbabago ng “business model” ng nasabing kumpanya. Sa katunayan, halos 800 manggagawa ang tinanggal sa trabaho nang walang konsultasyon at negosasyon sa pamunuan ng unyon nito lamang Marso. Labag ito sa ilang probisyon sa Labor Code at maging
sa Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) na napagkasunduan ng unyon at administrasyon, ayon kay Alfredo Maranon, pangulo ng Federation of CocaCola Unions. “Ang ginawa ng pamunuan ng Coke ay talagang biglaan at siyempre, walang nagawa ang mga manggagawa. Marami ang napilitang tanggapin ang separation pays nila dahil siyempre, kailangan ng kanilang pamilya ngayong wala na silang trabaho,” dagdag pa ni Maranon. Bunsod din diumano ng panibagong tax reform kung bakit kinailangang magtanggal ang Coke ng mga empleyado’t manggagawa, dahil mas bumaba raw ang kanilang kita nitong nakaraang taon. “Ang sinasabi ng pamunuan ng Coke, magsasara sila ng planta, magbabawas ng tao, at 'yung tatlong shift [na paggawa] ay gagawin nang dalawa. Ang sinasabi namin, paano gagawing dalawa eh samantalang 'yung volume [ng paggawa] ay lumalaki, at saka matagal na panahon nang tatlong shift yan,” paliwanag ni Maranon. Para naman kay Fadrequilan, imposibleng mabawasan ang kinikita ng Coke bunsod ng TRAIN Law. “Kung mapapansin mo sa mga food chain, halos lahat 'yan, ang sini-serve ay Coca-cola. Kaya nagiging excuse lang nila 'yung TRAIN Law para magbawas ng mga manggagawa para lalo pang mapataas 'yung tubo nila,” dagdag pa ni Fadrequilan. Sa ngayon, ikinakasa ng unyon ng mga manggagawa sa Coke ang malawakan at pambansang kilos protesta laban sa nakaambang mass retrenchment sa production department. “Ang approach nila rito ay medyo diplomasiya. Ang sabi nila, 'yung lahat ng gustong mag-avail ng Early Retirement Program, open ang kompanya sa mga magreretiro. Unlike sa sales department, whether you like it or not, kapag napangalanan ka, tanggal ka,” ani Fadrequilan.
BIYERNES 11 MAYO 2018
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BA LI TA
MAYO UNO DANIEL BOONE LUCKY DELA ROSA PATRICIA LOUISE POBRE
Collegian Ed Exam pushes through amid protests JOSE MARTIN V. SINGH THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Editorial Examinations, the selection process for UP Diliman’s official student publication’s next Editor-in-Chief (EIC), pushed through last May 5 despite casting much doubt among students. The Board of Judges (BOJ) for this year’s editorial exams chaired by College of Mass Communication (CMC) Dean Elena Pernia barred two students from taking the exams. Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino student Marvin Ang and Materials Engineering student Richard Cornelio, both writers for the Collegian, were deemed ineligible from taking the exam by the BOJ due to their graduating statuses on April 27 when the initial list of eligible examinees was released. The qualified examinees included Metallurgical Engineering student Mark Verndick Cabading, Comparative Literature student Maria Sopia Gozum, Philosophy student Beatrice Puente, Public Administration student Hans Christian Marin, and Law student Jayson Edward San Juan. Ang and Cornelio submitted separate letters of appeal to be reconsidered for the exams, but the BOJ was firm in their decision. The two writers, reasoned that their graduating statuses do not disqualify them from taking the exams, given that as presently enrolled undergraduates, they satisfy the provisions under the Collegian rules, which also outline the prerequisites for the exam participations. Both Ang and Cornelio in their appeal cited Section 8, Article III of the Collegian rules which states that “[t]o be able to participate in the competitive examination, the applicant: (a) must be a regular student of the University with at least one year residence therein and (b) must be enrolled in an undergraduate course carrying not less than the normal load prescribed for a regular student.” Pernia on the other hand replied to Ang and Cornelio in a single letter on May 3, two days prior to the exam. She cited Section 13, Article IV of the same rules as grounds for their disqualification. The said provision states that “[t]he Editor of the Philippine Collegian, while serving in the capacity, must continue to satisfy the same qualifications and be free of the disqualifications governing eligibility to participate in the competitive examinations, as prescribed in these rules.”
On Labor Day, more than 20,000 advocates and activists protested in Mendiola calling to end contractualization. Major labor groups Kilusang Mayo Uno, Nagkaisa labor coalition, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, and other sectoral groups call to end the ‘ENDO’ end-of-contract schemes. Endo refers to the practice of short-term contracts short of the six months that would make a worker a regular employee with benefits such as paid leave, premium contributions to government pension fund, bonuses and health insurance. The definition is also expanded to include all contractual jobs in general which are not secure, lowpaying and lack benefits. Although President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order (EO) on Labor Day that ‘prohibits illegal contracting and subcontracting’, laborers still fell in dismay. Labor groups wanted to prohibit all forms of contracting and subcontracting, which shall make direct hiring the norm in employment relations and would really put an end to endo.
BA LI TA
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BIYERNES 11 MAYO 2018
Met with protests Protests spearheaded by Collegian writers and attended by members of different publications, student councils
(SC), and organizations were held before, during, and after the exams to condemn the BOJ ruling and call for a more fair and inclusive editor selection process, among others. Amid protests Ang and Cornelio also sent an urgent letter of appeal on May 4 to Chancellor Michael Tan to challenge the BOJ’s ruling and requested that they be allowed to take the exam together with the five allowed applicants. Ang and Cornelio also tried negotiating with Pernia on the exam day but were dismissed. Tan upheld through a formal pronouncement the BOJ’s decision to disqualify Ang and Cornelio at 9AM of May 5 or an hour after the exam began. The decision was unfair for the two writers, as they have been extremely dedicated to the cause of the publication, said Sheila Abarra, incumbent Managing Editor of the Collegian. Abarra also cited precedents, like one case of a graduating student who was allowed to take the exam and required to submit an affidavit of undertaking. This could have simply mitigated the problem, according to the University Student Council in their statement. Melane Manalo, a former Collegian writer, EIC aspirant, and graduating Public Administration student in 2007 was invited by the Pernia-led BOJ in a meeting regarding her eligibility. Manalo later filed an affidavit stating her desire to apply to another undergraduate degree program should she win the exam and get the 2007-2008 EIC post. “Nang lumabas ang initial list ng mga mag-eexam, sinamahan ko na kaagad sa OSA sina Marvin at Richard para itanong kung bakit hindi sila qualified. Nang sinabi ni Dr. Althea Enriquez na dahil ito sa graduating status at residency issues, nag-testify na ako dahil nakapag-exam ako last year kahit unang sem ko pa lang noon sa BA Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino—mula sa Sertipiko kung saan graduating si Marvin ngayon,” Abarra said. Ang and Cornelio have also resolved to take up undergraduate degrees after graduating from their present program. However, their petition was not entertained by Pernia when they raised the possibility of submitting an aff idavit like what past applicants were allowed to do. Law student wins EIC exam The BOJ eventually declared San Juan winner, besting Cabading, Gozum, Puente, and Marin, who placed second to fifth. The three-part, four-hour long
exam consisted of Editorial Writing, News Writing, and Layouting. The examinees were asked to write about “Urban and Rural Toilets in Filipino Consciousness” for the Editorial Writing part of the exam, which comprised 70 percent of the total exam score. The News Writing and the Layouting parts tallied 20 percent and 10 percent. The Collegian, together with the various student councils, publications, and organizations, continues to call for inclusivity and launched a campaign to defend the student publication from elements that may destroy its true spirit born out of its rich tradition. They also called for the nullification of the May 5 examinations, given the anomalies that mar it. Meanwhile, a report by Tinig ng Plaridel (TNP), the official student publication of CMC, cited a statement by the 2012 graduating batch National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) expressing deep concerns on San Juan winning the exams. Among the 2012 graduates in NCPAG, San Juan was head of the class’s yearbook, according to the statement which comes from an anonymous source. San Juan was allegedly involved in corruption of around P57,000 which was supposed to be used for the printing of the yearbook but was misappropriated and was used for the medication of his ailing mother, according to the statement. In a separate report by TNP, San Juan was able to settle the account by remitting the said amount for the yearbook printing on May 10, 2018. Before the exams, a disqualification case was also filed against San Juan by CMC SC Chair Mikko Ringia, citing a memorandum by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), stating that a Law degree is equivalent to a Master’s degree. The disqualification case is anchored on the Collegian rules provision that bars graduate students from participating in the exam. “Ang lahat ng irregularities sa paginterpret ng rules at sa mismong pagconduct ng exam, ay nangangahulugang hindi lehitimo ang pagkapanalo at pagkatalo. Kung kaya, bilang bahagi ng editorial board ng Kule, nakasandig ako sa aming panawagan na ulitin ang exam, dahil hindi namin deserve lalo’t higit ng mga marhinalisado’t aping aming pinagsisilbihan, ang patnugot na nagwagi sa exam na puno ng anomalya,” Abarra said.
NAGHAHANAP ANG NA LAYOUT ARTIST Umakyat na sa Room
PHILIPPINE PHOTOGRAPHER GRAPHIC ARTIST COLLEGIAN NG MGA MAHUHUSAY AT WRITER
401 ng Vinzons Hall at magdala ng portfolio at dalawang bluebook.
JOSE MARTIN V. SINGH
TIPPING POINT JUAN GREGORIO LINA
April 26
The Board of Judges (BOJ) releases the initial list of examinees for the 2018 Philippine Collegian Editorial Examinations. 3rd year Sertipiko sa Malikhaing Filipino major Marvin Ang and 5th year Materials Engineering major Richard Cornelio, who are also Collegian writers, are excluded from the list. No formal letter from the BOJ is furnished to Ang and Cornelio explaining the reasons for their disqualification.
April 26, afternoon
Later that same day, the two, on their own accord, approach Office of Student Activities (OSA) Coordinator Dr. Ma. Althea Enriquez. Enriquez explains that the BOJ denied the writers’ applications with their graduating statuses and resulting residency issues as grounds.
April 27
Cornelio and Ang, in separate letters, appeal to the BOJ to reconsider its decision, arguing that their graduating statuses are non-issues in light of Ang’s intention to move up to a Bachelor's degree next semester and Cornelio’s intention to take up another undergraduate degree after graduating.
May 3
The BOJ denies Ang and Cornelio's appeal with finality and releases the final list of applicants. In a single letter addressed to both Ang and Cornelio, College of Mass Communication Dean Elena Pernia cites as basis for the BOJ’s decision Article IV Sec. 13 of the Philippine Collegian Rules which states that "the Editor of the Philippine Collegian, while serving in the capacity, must continue to satisfy the same qualifications and be free of the disqualifications governing eligibility to participate in the competitive examinations, as prescribed in these rules.”
May 4
Ang and Cornelio appeal to Chancellor Michael L. Tan, challenging the BOJ's ruling. Upon theapplicants’ request, the letter is tagged as urgent and is immediately sent to the Chancellor's office.
May 5
On the day of the editorial examinations, Ang and Cornelio arrive at the College of Mass Communication to appeal to Dean Pernia that they be allowed to participate in the examinations. Dean Pernia, however, insists that the two applicants wait for the Chancellor's decision although the editorial exam is already underway as they speak.
May 10
Later in the morning, Chancellor Tan’s response to the writers’ appeals arrives. Tan upholds the BOJ's ruling prohibiting the two from taking the exam.
Cornelio and Ang submit various documents to the BOJ, the Office of Student Activities, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Chancellor’s Office as part of their contestation of the examination.
May 11
On this day, the Board will release its ruling on the matter. However the administration proceeds will inform the landscape and attitudes for the campus press, either for better or for worse.
WITH EVERY APPOINTMENT OF A new Collegian editor-in-chief, therein lies the burning question in the minds of many: where does the publication go from here? The editor-in-chief possesses the vision with which the publication will chart towards for the academic year. It is this vision that will dictate the narratives that will see print and the stands that will manifest in the paper’s editorials. While the Collegian may have an editorial board and other staffers, the editor-in-chief, ultimately, is the convener, the overarching authority who spearheads the consolidation of the paper’s membership. “The editor-in-chief wields this much power that his selection must be free from any question or irregularity,” says incumbent Collegian editor-in-chief Sanny Boy Afable. But the Philippine Collegian Editorial Examinations last May 5, 2018, however, were anything but unquestionable and regular. The prohibition of Collegian writers Marvin Ang and Richard Cornelio had cast doubt on the legitimacy of the examinations. While the Board of Judges ultimately declared 3rd year College of Law student Jayson Edward San Juan as the victor, amid the controversy, that burning question in the minds of many has yet to find an answer. ‘A declaration of dissent’ Through its 95 years of existence, the Collegian established itself through a protracted narrative of struggle and resistance. From the jovial, innocuous student publication most embodied by its earlier iterations in the College Folio and Varsity News of the 1910s and 1920s, political and social turmoil would eventually mold the paper into the publication it is today. During the 1930s, the Collegian would make waves after an editorial critical of two members of the Board of Regents were met with reprimand from the University’s administration. Later on, during the 50s PHOTO BY KEITH MARIANO PAGE DESIGN BY KENNETH GUTLAY
and 60s, the publication did not hold back from highlighting absenteeism in the University Student Council, earning the council’s disdain. In the wake of the United States’ war in Vietnam, the Collegian did not hesitate to join the fray in condemning the conflict. It was during Marcos’ Martial Law, however, where the Collegian would most distinguish itself. As printing presses across the nation were forcibly closed down and replaced with progovernment propaganda, the student paper nevertheless continued to roll out searing critiques of the rampant injustice and abuse that characterized the day despite the dangers such incendiary commentary posed. This brazenness in the face of repression earned the Collegian its ‘mosquito press’ designation. It was not long until the administration sought to constrict the publication through intervention in its affairs. Though the longstanding position of faculty adviser was abolished in 1977, the appointment of the editor-in-chief for 1977-78 would go on to be marred by controversy, after the declaration of activist Gerry Anigan as Collegian editor-in-chief was nullified by the Board of Regents (BOR) in the face of pressure from the Marcos government. In 1978, a review by the BOR of the rules for the selection of the paper’s chief editor would diminish the studentry’s involvement in the procedure. In the wake of this year’s contentious editorial examinations, the Collegian and its tradition of critical and fearless journalism again finds itself in a precarious position, with the exclusion of Ang and Cornelio from the editorial examinations recalling the recurring theme of administrational intervention. BIYERNES 11 MARSO 2018
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LAT HA LAIN
WHEN DISSENT IS T H E O N LY C H O I C E RICHARD CALAYEG
For a student institution like the Collegian, full autonomy must be exercised by the editorial board and staff, free from any intervention that may undermine the discretion of the paper
HER WORDS MEANT A DECLARATION OF dissent: I will not step down. Dressed in fuchsia and high heels, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno stands on the steps of the Supreme Court amid furor from a group of rowdy protesters camped outside the high court’s main gate, calling for her ouster. She is defiant — perhaps annoyingly so, if you would ask her colleagues, who insisted on her indefinite leave to begin with, and who are now hellbent on dragging her out of the tribunal through quo warranto. The said petition lodged against Sereno seeks to nullify her appointment over allegedly failing to submit all of her financial statements before she took office in 2012. The law, hard and fast as it should be, is made to yield in the hands of whoever holds power. That the chief justice is undermined in the highest court of the land which she chairs — set to be tried over technicalities of the law — seems ironic at first and raises concern the next. More alarmingly, it sends the wrong message to the ordinary man who lives in dread and awe of robes and gavels. I write this for I have lately been thinking about defiance and mettle and the assorted reasons that push one to carry on, and because, for all intents and purposes, I now find myself in a legal battle that can only be fought on two fronts: one, on the basis of the letter of the law, and the other, on the basis of its spirit. The Board of Judges (BOJ)’s decision to disqualify me and fellow Collegian writer Marvin Ang from taking this year’s Editorial Exam is made on account of our graduating status, which the board believes violates one of the provisions of the Collegian Rules. At the risk of sounding ludicrous, I cannot help but juxtapose this ordeal with the top magistrate’s, whose integrity is now questioned simply on the ground of a loose technicality.
In several letters of protests, we remained steadfast in our belief that a fairer implementation of the Rules would have resulted in our qualification to take the exam. After all, the democratic spirit that the exam is premised upon aspires towards the participation of as many interested students as possible. The BOJ, on the other hand, was equally adamant and unreasonably nonchalant, stonewalling any fruitful dialogue with us appellants. They could afford to be so, knowing too well that the Rules are tipped in their favor. If there is anything good that came about from this issue, it is the campaign for a review and revision of the existing Rules that is now gaining steam. Such calls are only legitimate given the document’s dangerous pro-administration bent, as evidenced by its surrender to the BOJ’s, and ultimately, the Chancellor’s final interpretations of its stipulations. For a student institution like the Collegian, full autonomy must be exercised by the editorial board and staff, free from any intervention that may undermine the discretion of the paper — unless the publication has reneged on its mandate to forward the interests of the students and the masses. Such an event is, however, only for the student body to determine. At this juncture, the university is tuned in. Just as the whole country is watching how the political persecution of Sereno will transpire in the guise of an impeachment trial, UP students are likewise awaiting the decision of BOJ on our latest protests as they, in the end, have much to lose in this battle. Both turns of events will set a precedent of how critical institutions will fare in a country whose democratic lynchpins are now in danger of losing ground.
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN SANNY BOY AFABLE
PUNONG PATNUGOT
ALDRIN VILLEGAS
KAPATNUGOT
SHEILA ANN ABARRA
TAGAPAMAHALANG PATNUGOT
JOHN DANIEL BOONE
PATNUGOT SA BALITA
ROSETTE ABOGADO ADRIAN KENNETH GUTLAY
PATNUGOT SA GRAPIX
JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA
KAWANI
AMELYN DAGA
PINANSIYA
GARY GABALES
SABI NG EDITOR KO DATI, MAY dalawang paraan lamang para makaalis ng Kule. Nang mga panahong iyon, hindi ko pa gets kung bakit dalawa lang. Habang tumatagal kasi ang pananatili ko sa Kule, lalo ring dumarami ang mga dahilan na naririnig ko mula sa mga sumubok pero umalis din kinalaunan—madalas ay acads, ang iba ay kalusugan, at ang ilan ay nagsawa nalang na magpasa ng panibagong draft. Ngayong nasa ikaapat na taon na ako sa UP at sa dyaryo, pwede na raw akong pakawalan ng Kule sakali mang Sumablay ako ngayong Hunyo. Isa ito sa dalawang paraan na tinutukoy ng editor ko, bagay na kamakailan lamang nag sink-in sa akin ngayong malapit nang ma-SF (semifinal) ang thesis ko. Pero kasabay ng nalalapit na pagtatapos, nahaharap sa panibagong hamon ang institusyong naging tahanan ko na, bago pa man ako makatapak sa Kalay o sa mga klase ko noon sa Econ. Kontrobersyal ang naging exam sa pagpili ng susunod na punong patnugot ng Kule matapos hindi payagang makapag-exam ang mga kasalukuyang manunulat ng dyaryo dahil sa kanilang “graduating status.” Isa sa kanila si Richard Cornelio, 5th year sa kursong Materials Engineering, na manunulat namin sa pahinang Lathalain. Bilang kanyang editor, alam kong kaunti nalang ang maiaambag ko sa paghubog sa kanyang pagsusulat, bagaman matagal na siyang sumasali sa mga patimpalak at nananalo tulad sa Palanca. Higit pa rito, hanga rin ako sa dedikasyon niya sa dyaryo, tulad nang kung paano niya binigyang hustisya ang mga kwentong ipinagkatiwala sa kanya—mula sa kwento ni Kian hanggang sa istorya ng mga mananaliksik sa unibersidad. Katulad ni Richard, nasa huling taon na rin sa kursong Sertipiko sa Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino si Marvin Ang. Agad na tutungo sa Batsilyer na kurso si Marvin matapos
O PIN YON
6
BIYERNES 10 MAYO 2018
ang semestreng ito, subalit hindi pa rin siya pinayagang mag-exam sa parehong dahilan na ga-graduate na ito. Bilang manunulat sa pahinang Kultura, mahihinuha sa kanyang mga artikulo na hindi nahihiwalay ang arte at rebolusyon, ang kultura at pulitika, at ang manunulat sa lipunang kinabibilangan niya. Sa matagal na panahong nanatili ako sa Kule, marahil ay ito na ang huling semestre na gugugulin ko ang bawat gabi sa pagsusulat at pag-eedit sa Vinzons 401. Subalit sa aking pagtatapos, naniniwala ako na hindi pa tapos ang ambag ko sa publikasyon at sa laban para sa malayang peryodismo. Higit pa rito, alam kong mas marami pang maiaambag ang mga manunulat na nagsisimula pa lamang—silang mga susunod na henerasyon na ngayon ay lumalaban hindi para sa kanilang mga sarili kundi para sa dyaryo na nagbukas ng pintuan upang maging boses sila ng mga tinig na hindi pinakikinggan. Kaya naman ang pagtatapos ay hindi hudyat ng pagtigil sa pagsusulat at paglaban. Lalong hindi rito natutuldukan ang paglilingkod sa bayan kung ang talas at talab ng panulat ang maaari mong tanganan. Sa pananatili ko sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, na kalakhan ay iginugol ko sa Kule, hindi kailanman ipinagkait ng publikasyon ang espasyo nito sa mga estudyante na may puso at dedikasyon para sa bayan.
TAGAPAMAHALA SA SIRKULASYON
AMELITO JAENA OMAR OMAMALIN
KWENTONG KULE ALDRIN VILLEGAS
SIRKULASYON
TRINIDAD GABALES GINA VILLAS
KATUWANG NA KAWANI
KASAPI UP SYSTEMWIDE ALLIANCE OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND WRITERS’ ORGANIZATIONS (SOLIDARIDAD)
COLLEGE EDITORS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES (CEGP) PAMUHATAN SILID 401 BULWAGANG VINZONS, UNIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS, DILIMAN, LUNGSOD QUEZON TELEFAX 981-8500 LOKAL 4522 ONLINE phkule@gmail.com www.philippinecollegian.org fb.com/phkule twitter.com/phkule instagram.com/phkule issuu.com/philippinecollegian pinterest.com/phkule
...silang mga susunod na henerasyon na ngayon ay lumalaban hindi para sa kanilang sarili kundi para sa dyaryo...
UKOL SA PABALAT
DIBUHO NI KENNETH ZAPATA PASINTABI KAY IVAN REVERENTE
IDENTITY CRISIS
MELTING POINT
PATRICIA LOUISE POBRE
WARREN RAGASA
ANG PAKIKIPAGSAPALARAN NI MACARTHUR SA PALAGAY KO, NAIHI SA TAKOT ANG DEKANA NANG marinig niya ang mga protesta. Ngayon lang kasi sinalubong ng galit at anomalya ang taunang eksaminasyon. Nagtungo siya sa kaniyang trono, naupo at nagmuni-muni: ano kaya ang paksang babago sa kapalaran ng Kule sa susunod na taon? Hindi papasok sa kaniyang isipan ang TRAIN, ang kaliwa’t kanang pamamaslang, ang libreng edukasyon, si Duterte na nagluklok sa kaniya sa isang puwesto, ang UP, o anumang ulo ng nagbabagang balita sa umagang iyon. Tumutulig pa rin sa kaniya ang mga lumalakas na sigaw: “pag-eksamin si Cornelio at Ang!” Mapapakapit ang dekana sa kaniyang kumikinang na kasilyas. Inidoro! Palaisipan pa rin sa akin kung bakit ‘inidoro sa kamalayang Pilipino’ ang siyang paksa ng pagsusulit sa editoryal na magiging basehan sa pagpili ng susunod na punong patnugot ng Collegian — ang ginagalang na pahayagan, ang Kule na naging espasyong lunan ng mga kuwento ng katulad kong estudyante, pasahero ng Ikot, at suki ng mga pinaaalis na kiosks sa UP. Mula sa de-tabong tronong kinauupuan ko ngayon, hindi mawaglit sa isip ko na gusto lang talagang pag-trip-an ng administrasyon ang Kule ngayong taon. Saang hinagap o maruming palikuran pinulot ng mga hurado ang paksa? Anong pagkain ang nagpasama sa tiyan ng mga hurado para pagpasyahang inidoro ang magtakda sa kinabukasan ng Kule? Hindi naman sarado ang Kule para sa mga naratibong ikinukubli sa inidoro. Aba, forte yata ng seksyong Kultura na palawigin ang semantik at kultural na pagkakaiba ng tae at palikuran. Noong 2000s, napakapit din sa inidoro ang administrasyon nang maging laman mismo ng Kule ang kwento tungkol sa marurumi at de-tabo pang palikuran sa pambansang pamantasan. Pero hindi ito pipiliin ng sinumang punong patnugot bilang isyung ispesipikong bibigyang-tindig ng buong publikasyon sa harap ng samu’t saring krisis. Bakit ba palikuran ang bibigyangpansin kung ang ugat ng mapanghing urinal, sirang gripo at MacArthur (‘yung makulit na taeng hindi madaan sa sampung buhos) ay ang kapabayaan ng pamahalaan at, sa kaso ng UP, ang mababang pondong laan dito? Nang-aasar at nanghahamon ang BOJ nang piliin nitong paksa ang inidoro, waring tinutuya ang buong proseso at ang pahayagan. Kuwento pa sa akin ng mga kasama kong kumuha ng pagsusulit, isinama rin sa mga artikulong ilalapat sa layout exam ang ulat ng Rappler tungkol sa anomalya sa eksaminasyon — sinadya pang mali-maliin ang ispeling ng mga salita. Kung kaya wala na ang kapanatagan at kapayapaang hatid ng pag-upo sa inidoro. Magiging simbolo na ito ng pambabalahura ng administrasyon sa halos isang siglo nang institusyon. Ang tanging rekurso ay linisin ang palikuran at pigilan ang pababalik ni MacArthur.
STATUS QUOTES Jane Uymatiao @citizenjaneph
These justices who are out to oust the CJ are no longer listening even to their own peers in the legal community. They will go down in history as the most shameless justices of the SC who put personal interest over public good. #FightBackCJSereno 5:17 PM - 10 MAY 2018
Nacho Domingo @NachoDomingo81
Saddening, that in times of utter media repression, the first thing on the minds of some is emphasizing political gain rather than standing with our publications and media practitioners. #DefendPressFreedom 2:37 PM - 6 MAY 2018
Mendiola Peace Arc
September 21, 2017
DANGEROUS PRECEDENT
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT BY PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN ALUMNI ON THE 2018 COLLEGIAN EDITORIAL EXAMINATION
WE, ALUMNI OF THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN, express our great dismay and unease over the conduct and reported irregularities marring the 2018 Collegian editorial examination. We are alarmed at how the various actions of the Board of Judges (BOJ), expressly constituted for the examination and headed by UP College of Mass Communication Dean Elena Pernia, have resulted in a situation which strikes at the very integrity of the Collegian—and accordingly, campus press freedom. We question why the BOJ disqualified current Collegian staff, namely Kultura writer Marvin Ang and Features writer Richard Cornelio, from competing in the editorial examinations because of their graduating status. According to the BOJ, this is an alleged violation of the eligibility requirements listed in the Collegian rules. We believe that this is a repressive interpretation of the letter of the law. Previous BOJs have consistently allowed graduating students to take the examinations. By barring Ang and Cornelio, the Pernia-led BOJ set a dangerous precedent that goes against the spirit of encouraging student participation in the leadership of the Collegian. As alumni of the campus press, we have been witness to how various school administrations all over the country have used technicalities like these to paralyze fearless student papers. It is gravely disappointing to see this happen in our own alma mater, especially when the board is led by a supposed advocate for press freedom, the dean of the College of Mass Communication herself. We are also concerned about other irregularities surrounding the examination, to wit: 1. Ang and Cornelio were not properly notified of their disqualification. Upon the posting of the list of qualified examinees, the two writers were offered only a verbal explanation by the Office of Student Affairs. Moreover, each writer wrote separate letters of appeal, but Dean Pernia curiously responded to both in a single letter—a discourteous gesture that refuses to recognize the independence of their actions from each other as well as their individuality as examinees. 2. Participants were informed less than 24 hours before the exam that they would be allowed to use their personal laptops during the examination proper. To our recollection, this has never been allowed for the obvious reason of avoiding cheating or impartiality. Previous examinations have always been conducted using workstations monitored and supervised by the BOJ. This is a glaring change in conduct that casts doubt on the ability and integrity of the BOJ, and ultimately compromises the credibility of the results. In a time when press freedom and civil rights are under attack, the suspicious conduct of the recent Collegian editorial examinations is far from trivial. Actions like these put the Collegian in a precarious position, vulnerable to the influence of allegiances and authorities that may increasingly affect the function of the paper—thereby stripping the Collegian of the very freedom it has fought nearly a century for. We are in a perilous juncture in our nation’s history where those who stand to gain most from the downfall of critical media are known to use all available methods—from social media trolls, personal smear campaigns and the weaponizing of technicalities, to outright harassment and murder—in order to silence opposition. The alleged irregularities in the conduct of the editorial examination put to question the legitimacy of the Collegian’s leadership, weakening the integrity of the institution as well as its power to oppose. We sign this joint statement to call for the immediate conduct of a new Collegian examination, under a reconstituted Board of Judges that will uphold the pro-student character of the publication. We ask for transparency in the selection of a new chair and members for the revamped board. This is the only way to restore the integrity of this year’s editorial examinations. In the future, we shall also push for the amendment of the Collegian rules to ensure that the selection of the Collegian editor will be rid of doubt and dishonesty. We hope that the next editorships may serve with a clean and unassailable mandate so they can focus on the grueling task of advocating the interests of students alongside the greater public. Our years in the Collegian taught us that press freedom, inclusivity, and democratic participation are not mere catchphrases, but core ideals that we still strive to uphold in our various fields today. The University of the Philippines prides itself on being a bastion of democracy, a beacon of both academic and press freedom. Let its actions speak louder and ring truer than the din of mere words or technicalities.
BIYERNES 11 MAYO 2018
7
COM MUN ITY
MALAYANG PAGLALAYAG
,,
Iisang naratibo ng paniniil at paglaban, kung kaya malawak na kaisahan din ngayon ang ipinakikita ng mga mag-aaral ng UP upang depensehan ang integridad ng pahayagan.
WALANG ALON ANG MAAARING magpatiklop sa layag ng kritikal at malayang pamamahayag. Ngayong taon, bagong sigwa ang kinakaharap ng Philippine Collegian dala ng mga iregularidad sa pagpili ng susunod na punong patnugot ng pahayagan. Sa unang pagkakataon, sinalubong ng protesta ang eksaminasyon para sa pagkapatnugot nang hindi pahintulutang kumuha ng pagsusulit ang dalawa nitong manunulat. Kaduda-duda ang naging daloy ng proseso ngayong taon, at naging malinaw ang pang-aabuso ng Board of Judges (BOJ) sa diskresyon nito. Bagaman walang probisyon sa alituntunin ng Collegian na nagbabawal sa mga mag-aaral na nakatakda nang magtapos, nanindigan ang BOJ sa desisyon nito na ibinababa lamang dalawang araw bago ang eksaminasyon. Itinuloy ang pagsusulit at inilabas ang resulta bagaman walang anumang pagdinig at hindi binigyan ng kaukulang proseso ang protesta. Hindi lamang nagbingi-bingihan ang BOJ, sa pangunguna ni Dekana Elena Pernia, sa makatwirang apila ng mga magaaral, kundi sa kahingian din ng kanilang mandato. Mismong si Pernia ang pumayag sa mga magsisipagtapos na mag-aaral na kumuha ng eksaminasyon noong mga nakaraang taon. Bago pa man ito mangyari, kinuwestyon na ng mga manunulat ng Collegian ang nilalaman ng mga alintuntuning inaprubahan ng Board of Regents noong 1978. Binatikos ng patnugutan ang kawalan ng representasyon mula
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
EDITORYAL sa publikasyon ukol sa mga desisyon sa pagpili ng punong patnugot, at waring nagbabala sa posibilidad na basahin ng BOJ ang batas laban sa mga mag-aaral— tulad ng pangyayari ngayon. Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na ginamit ang teknikalidad at batas para sikilin ang Collegian. Noong 2006, ginipit din ang pahayagan nang ipitin ng administrasyon ang pondo nito, dahilan upang hindi mailimbag ang mga isyu ng Kule. Ganito rin ang kinahaharap na unos ng maraming pahayagan at organisasyon sa UP. Sa mismong Kolehiyo ng Pangmadlang Komunikasyon (CMC), ginamit ng mismong administrasyon ni Pernia ang Faculty-Student Relations Committee (FSRC) Manual noong nakaraang taon upang hindi kilalanin ang mga organisasyon sa CMC. Kung kaya hindi nakapagtataka ang naging direksyon ng BOJ sa kaniyang pamumuno. Malinaw ang dahilan ng paninikil sa mga institusyon at organisasyong tulad ng Collegian. Matapang ang mga itong naglahad at nagbigay-tindig sa mga isyu, isiniwalat ang kuwento ng mga isinasantabing sektor ng lipunan, at walang takot na humarap sa daluyong at malalaking alon. Iisang naratibo ng paniniil at paglaban, kung kaya malawak na kaisahan din ngayon ang ipinakikita ng mga mag-aaral ng UP upang depensehan ang integridad ng pahayagan. Nasa kritikal na yugto ang bansa. Umiigting ang mga tunggalian,
binubusalan ang karapatan sa malayang pamamahayag, at nilulunod ang katotohanan sa lati ng pekeng balita at maling impormasyon—kung kaya nasa mahalagang posisyon din ang Collegian. Samakatuwid, hindi dapat limitahan ang kalayaan at kakayahan ng patnugutan nito sa makitid na interpretasyon ng batas. Matibay ang paninindigan ng institusyon para sa kalayaan nito at iba pang mga organisasyong pang-mag-aaral sa pamantasan. Kagyat na panawagan sa ngayon ang pagbuo sa isang bagong BOJ na tutupad sa tungkulin at papanig sa interes ng mga mag-aaral, at ang pagsasagawa ng panibagong pagsusulit na malaya sa anumang irregularidad, Mas malaking sigwa ang kinahaharap ng sambayanan sa labas ng pamantasan, kung kaya hindi maaaring magpatangay ang Collegian at ang kabuuan ng UP sa agos. Patuloy ang paglalayag ng Collegian para sa malaya at mapagpalayang pamamahayag.