110 years TOWARDS A PROGRESSIVE CAMPUS PRESS | VOL. LXXXV NO. 10 | FRIDAY, 16 AUGUST 2013
STRONG AND GENTLE. Miss Silliman 2013 “Stronger than light, gentler than rain” introduces to the public in a press launch on August 5 at the Amphitheater the 12 candidates vying for the crown: (L-R) Law, Arts and Sciences, School of Public Affairs and Governance, Rehabilitative Sciences, Business Administration, Performing and Visual Arts, Education, Engineering, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Nursing, Mass Communication, and Medicine. PHOTO BY Dylzaree Recentes
SU Admin clears univ changes, issues By Michiko Je Bito-on and Katrin Anne Arcala
SHEDDING LIGHT. Silliman University President Ben S. Malayang III explains the changes within the university and addresses concerns of students expressed by representatives from the SUSG and other organizations. SU Administration is considering holding regular meetings to create better communication between them and different sectors of the SU community. PHOTO BY Dylzaree Recentes
Advocates tackles automated election fraud
By Nova Veraley V. Grafe
TO PROMOTE AN awareness on the manipulations and anomalies during the May 2013 automated election, advocates for a clean and honest election conducted a forum at Silliman University last August 8. The government changed the election process from manual to automated in order to improve the accuracy of the counting of votes and tabulation of results; to eliminate cheating; to make the process more transparent to the public; and to speed up the process. However, Augusto “Gus” C. Lagman, former Comelec commissioner said that May 13, 2013, was “the worst election we’ve ever had.” “No mock election conducted by Smartmatic has produced an accuracy rate of 99.995% (one error per 20,000 marks) or better.” Lagman said. Lagman added that reports have shown Smartmatic’s system is very vulnerable to internal tampering— it could be stolen, hi-jacked, and manipulated. The reports in Cagayan de Oro in 2010, where CF cards were found in the garbage dump, prove the ease by which cards could be stolen; the 60 PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) machines found in the house of
a Smartmatic technician in Antipolo right after the elections prove that even the machines themselves could be hi-jacked; and the PCOS could be manipulated. Lagman also stressed that transparency was lost when precinct counting was automated. “Voters didn’t see how their votes were counted; there was no source code review as mandated by law; and the incomplete data in Comelec’s public website made it next to impossible to check the accuracy of canvassing.” said Lagman. The Fraud Lagman stressed that Comelec had to budget almost P9 billion in additional expenses (P11.3 billion in 2010). Atty. Glenn Chong, a former representative of Biliran, Leyte and another speaker of the forum, said the disabling of security features of PCOS—the ultraviolet lamp; the voter verification-paper trail audit; the absence of digital signature of the BEI (board of electoral inspectors); the absence of mandatory source code review; and the incomplete mandatory Comelec website results—was intended for cheat during the 2013 election. Chong also said that there is evidence of electoral fraud. In Pasay, Chong said that there were continued on page 6 22 clustered
THE SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY Administration clarified existing issues in the university through a roundtable meeting and dialogue with the representatives of the Student Government (SUSG), college councils and other student leaders last Aug.5. The said meeting was an effort to answer students’ concerns on new policies in the university, including the 5-day scheme, the revised enrolment process and policies on out-of-town activities, among others. Speaking on behalf of the students, SUSG Vice-President Jeff Nicolo Palad said that the undertaking, which requires a guardian or parent’s signature, is inconvenient for many students who come from far-flung provinces. The “5-Day Week Scheme” has also created class scheduling problems for a large population of students, he added. “The students were taken aback
because they were not given prior information. Palad explained. Silliman University President Ben Malayang III admits that the administration should ideally do consultations with affected sectors despite being a private university. “The deficiency was that we did not wait for the semester to begin and then do the consultations. But then as we promised to everybody, the faculty and staff, we are going to do a continuing evaluation and monitoring of the scheme,” he added. The administration is considering to establish an online system to facilitate the completion of the undertaking valid for the entire period with which the student is enrolled. The following were considered in the implementation of the “5Day Week Scheme”: consideration of the welfare of a large population of students-commuters, increased number of student activities, interruption of classes due to typhoons or holidays and minimization of the university’s expenses. Mondays are
“flexible days” for students to have makeup classes or attend university or student organization activities. The new school day system is still in its trial stage and is subject to evaluation by the administration, faculty and staff, and student leaders. The implementation may be cancelled in the next semester if findings suggest more harm than good on students. With regards to other council and college ac t i v i t i e s , Malayang s a i d t h a t t h e university does not w a n t to control t h e c on c e r n e d g ro u p’s plans, so long as it promotes learning and ensures the safety of the students.~
SU buys new bus, improves website By Jelanie Rose T. Elvinia
FILIPINO AT TEKNOLOHIYA. Carren Joy Lacay wins 1st place during the 17th Talumpati ng Taon 2013 “Kabataan at Teknolohiya: Tagapagtaguyod ng wika sa makabagong panahon” at 8 p.m. on August 14 at the Claire Isabel McGil Luce Auditorium, Silliman University. PHOTO BY Dylzaree Recentes
SU builds ramps for PWDs
By Kristine Felva P. Licup
WHILE EVERYONE IS busy for the upcoming Founders Week celebration, the Buildings and Grounds Department is busy building ramps in different areas of the university. The construction of ramps in the new Mass Communication building and Oriental Hall is now ongoing in compliance with the building code of the Philippines. This is also in accordance to the Accessibility
Law of Batasang Pambansa to provide easier access for persons with disabilities (PWDs). PWD-friendly institution Office of Information and Publications (OIP) Director Mark Raygan Garcia said that the university is doing its best to cater to the needs of students, especially the PWDs. “We want all our buildings to be PWD-friendly,” said Garcia. Aside from building ramps, Garcia added that the continued on page 6
TO BE CONSISTENT with recent developments and with its plans to bolster international marketing, Silliman University has acquired a new bus and a new look to the university website to be launched before Founders celebration. Mark Raygan Garcia, director of the Office of the Information, said that the university bought a new bus to provide a better and bigger mode of transportation to the growing number of students. Garcia added that having the bus is a good way to ensure the safety of the students and the faculty while traveling as it is managed and maintained by Silliman. On the other hand, SU website (su.edu.ph) will have its new look this month. Garcia said that it will be simpler and more directive in terms of the flow of pictures and information. He said that the website will have minor tweaks such as having “real time weather update” in Dumaguete City, drag and drop puzzle and a continued on page 6 video blog.