March 5, 2006
UB files case vs student leaders
BAGUIO CITY (Mar. 2) — The University of Baguio (UB) Office of Student Affairs (OSA) threatened to file administrative case for illegal assembly/rally/demonstration against eleven (11) UB student leaders and certain John Does after the students joined the protest actions staged against UB’s proposed 7.5% school fee hike.
According to the letter dated February 28, 2006 from UB OSA Director Jerome Palaoag, the said students were positively identified for “illegal activities” strictly prohibited under the UB student handbook on February 24, 27, and 28 with a sanction of exclusion to expulsion from the university.
UB-Supreme Student Council (UB-SSC) Prime Minister Carlo Lupian, one of the students facing the said raps, said the fight continues despite the charges. The charge against them only proves how UB is repressing its students, Lupian added.
Joseph Torafing, UB College of Law Student Parliament governor, also one of the 11 students charged, said what they did was accorded to by the Philippine Constitution provisions for freedom of expression. He stressed that the Constitution is superior to the UB Student Handbook.
Dialogue, charges
In an interview with Torafing, he mentioned that they (student leaders) had a dialogue with Dir. Palaoag on March 2 wherein the latter, after hearing the side of the students, clarified that there is no administrative case against the 11 students.
Torafing also revealed that the student leaders are contemplating on filing a case against OSA and Security (marshals) for the continued harassment of students involved in protest actions.
Dispersal
Previously on February 27, UB marshals harassed protesting students and tore all their placards.
The said marshals shoved Theresa Manglicmot of Gabriela Youth-Metro Baguio and Antoni Karl Riva of Anakbayan. The marshals also verbally abused members of Tabak-Baguio, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Alliance of Concerned Students (ACS) who showed support to UB students.
A Nordis reporter covering the assembly was also harassed by UB head marshal Fontanos (no name was given). He sacked the said reporter when asked if the administration ordered dispersal.
“The UB administration knows that the marshals are abusive even in the checking of IDs. Apparently, no action was yet executed to reprimand them,” Lupian lamented in Filipino.
Sparking the plug
The UB students, led by UB-SSC, have long been lobbying for a minimal fee increase. With the implementation of Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Memorandum 14, unilateral fee increases without consultation is allowed.
According to National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) Baguio-Benguet Coordinator John Panem, school fees should not be combined with ambiguous fees like the miscellaneous, development, cultural and others, where the proceeds have no transparency or expenses breakdown. (See table)
According to UB-SSC’s position paper, UB’s audited financial statement submitted to the Security on Exchange Commission (SEC), has an average annual income of P22.69M for the past 6 years. The paper added that UB spent excessively in 2005 for donations (P1.4M); conference and workshops (P1M); advertisement and promotions (P4.5M); and anniversary expenses and awards (P6.2M).
“We, the UB students, declare opposition on such proposal under the ‘Service over Profit Principle.’ We demand the increase be deferred,” Lupian concluded.
Meanwhile, students from St. Louis University (SLU), University of the Cordilleras (UC), Baguio Central University, BETI and UP Baguio massed up in their schools and rallied towards Igorot Park on March 1 to protest tuition increases or TFI.
According to Christel Maureen Eisma, SLU 2nd year student, protest against 7% TFI was already brought inside the campus unlike their usual protest in the main gate. Eisma stated that SLU is not suffering from any economic constraints to prompt a TFI. Data from SEC said SLU has P1.1 billion savings. Like UB’s case, SLU student council president was already given a warning for expulsion.
UP Baguio students supported the campaign to lower school fees, as they themselves have their own experience of repression (budget cut to P6.5M this year).
According to UP Baguio ACS member Trish Concepcion, concerned students made placards and banners in the morning while others were reading position statements from different organizations at the UP lobby to encourage academic and non-academic personnel to join the protest.
Organization leaders, student representatives gave brief speeches at Igorot Park on their unified stand on campus repression and school fee hikes.# Pink-Jean Fangon Melegrito, with reports from Elena Dionisio /UP Intern for NORDIS
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