Monday, November 26, 2012

AS ONE NATION, WE SHALL NEVER FORGET



As one nation, we have claimed on countless occasions that we could move forward as one body with one spirit, one Filipino people amidst the physical and cultural barriers that separate us. We have envisioned a society where the laws of the land apply to all, leaving no one exempt from necessary reprimands and penalties in times of posing considerable threat and causing damage to others.

Throughout the course of our history, however, we have seen long years of tedious battles in court that ended with implicated influential personalities walking away from heinous crimes as free men only because of some loophole they claim to have found. And yet we have seen how the victims and their families rallied the honest proofs of how their fundamental rights have been trampled on like mere pieces of trash. Is this how we want our own history textbooks to depict the Philippine justice system?Indeed, justice delayed is justice denied.

Three years ago, 58 civilians were brutally murdered in Maguindanao. This massacre of innocent Filipinos was set against a backdrop of political rivalry where those caught in between the crossfire unwillingly gave up what could have been longer and happier lives. Defenseless civilians were cruelly killed in a show of force that left the whole nation outraged and dejected. But beyond the mourning and the anger, the Filipino people did not fail to express their disappointment in the government because of its lack of immediate response to such a heinous crime. While there were already loud talks of whoever was behind the catastrophe, it took a while before these claims were examined and acted upon.

We, in UP Alyansa, understand and fully believe in the value of honoring the due process because it is fair and just – it is democratic and constitutional. However, we also believe in the timely delivery of answers to the public and the enactment of concrete courses of action in an appropriate timeframe.

Serving justice is not just about releasing a ruling and handing out penalties whenever the court finishes its examination, no matter if this takes decades. Serving justice means efficient examination so the court can hand out its ruling and corresponding penalties within an appropriate timeframe because those who have done wrong, no matter how popular, powerful, and influential they may be, must be punished in the shortest amount of time possible, given that due process was upheld. We are certainly not for merely railroading punishment on all those accused. We clamor for an efficient justice delivery system that acknowledges the value of a realistic and truly responsive timeframe.

We acknowledge that the judiciary also has other concerns outside the Maguindanao Massacre as this is not the only case left unresolved. Nevertheless, we call for justice for the 58 victims as this crime of extreme proportions manifest how the rich and powerful have, and perhaps always can, maneuver their way out of fair and suitable punishment.

We Filipinos still live in terror because we know that none of the influential, so-called masterminds who have been implicated were already proven guilty. We know that until they are placed permanently behind bars and made to stay there for the rest of their lives to make up for what they have done, they can still be exempt from punishment and therefore set free, once again able to seize control and forever reign in terror.

As one nation, let us push for a lasting respect for the dignity of the human being and fundamental freedoms, the foundation of a true democracy, through the immediate enactment of the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act and other measures. As one nation, let us clamor for the timely delivery of justice, and most of all, for the end of the culture of impunity that haunts the Philippine justice system.


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Students march from Ateneo to UP, rally for Straw Bill


By  on November 21, 2012 in Beyond Loyola


STUDENTS FROM different universities and youth groups in Metro Manila came together to celebrate the International Students’ Day by marching from the Ateneo de Manila University to the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman last Saturday, November 17. The participants of the parade expressed their support for the passage of House Bill No. 2190, otherwise known as the Students’ Rights and Welfare (Straw) Bill, in Congress.
Aside from students from UP and the Ateneo, students from De La Salle University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East also joined in the march. Members of Akbayan Youth, World Youth Alliance (WYA) and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines were also present.
The celebration was a first in the Philippines. Mickey Eva, president of the Coalition for Students’ Rights and Welfare and currently Vice Chair of UP ALYANSA, said, “We organized the event to call for [participation in the fight] for students’ rights and welfare since it is international students’ day. The focus is, of course, students’ rights. We wanted to use this day to capture the attention or the imagination of the entire country to focus its laws and policies also on students’ rights.”
The 23-year-old bill pushes for the legislation of a magna carta for all students in all Philippine schools, colleges and universities.
Ateneo Sanggunian President Gio Alejo said, “We’re lucky as Ateneans because we’re able to participate in a process like this, but other schools do not have the same privileges.” He raised the concern of many students, such as tuition fee increase and the insufficient budget for student councils and other activities.
Ninian Sumadia, a member of Akbayan Youth, also mentioned security and safety on campus as among the problems that need to be addressed. She cited the alarming violations of students’ rights and welfare, such as rape cases and frat-related violence in many schools across the country.
Meanwhile, WYA Regional Director Christine Violago brought up issues concerning the poor quality of facilities and education in many schools. “For WYA, the human person is the greatest resource of the country, [which] is why we need to invest on education,” she said.
When asked what the ordinary student can do to help this campaign for students’ rights and welfare, Eva said, “You could simply share for the education of students’ rights in your university; you can report cases of Straw violations with the NYC [National Youth Coalition] and you can also be as educated as other advocates when it comes to students’ rights.”
Once implemented, the Straw Bill is geared to address the concerns many students across the country are currently facing. Heart Diño, chairperson of the UP Diliman student council, said, “We want to continually spark the change as students… What we want now is to really mobilize and capacitate the students [to fight] for their rights.” ###

Click for the original THE GUIDON article HERE.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

In numbers, voice, and vision, youth power reigns at Int’l Students Day fete


By Tricia Aquino, Photos by Analy Labor · Monday, November 19, 2012 · 12:01 pm



Jensen Gomez, a band from College of Saint Benilde, rocks out at the UP Diliman Palma Hall. Photo by Analy Labor, InterAksyon.com.


Some 200 students paraded from Ateneo de Manila University to the University of the Philippines Diliman to mark International Students’ Day on Saturday, culminating at UP’s Palma Hall to celebrate students’ rights and welfare with a cause concert.

School colors didn’t matter as students from Ateneo, College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, UP Diliman, UP Manila, and UP Los Baños gathered not only to have a good time, but to call for the passage of the STRAW (Students’ Rights and Welfare) bill, as well.


Students from different schools come together on International Students' Day, November 17, 2012. Photo by Analy Labor, InterAksyon.com.


Essentially, House Bill No. 2190 recognizes the rights of students to education and as such entitles them to learning in an environment that promotes and honors their rights and welfare; it asserts their political and civil rights in decision-making policies inside and outside their school, especially in matters affecting the rights and welfare of students.
Akbayan Representative Walden Bello spoke to congratulate the students for throwing their support for a piece of legislation that he and fellow members of the House of Representatives had been advocating for years.

“The purpose of the Students’ Rights and Welfare Bill is really to institutionalize the participation of students in educational governance,” said Bello, the bill’s principal author, to the crowd. He noted that hrough the “key piece of legislation,” all students will be able to attain “quality education” for their “better good.”


Akbayan Representative Walden Bello speaks about the Students' Rights and Welfare Bill, of which he is principal author. Photo by Analy Labor, InterAksyon.com.

Noel Cabangon, who gave his rendition of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Get Up, Stand Up,” called on the youth to always do so for their rights. He said, “The youth are instrumental to change in our country. We saw that during the Martial Law years. Who took the lead to topple down the dictatorship? The students. Change started from the students. Even if you look at the history of other countries, where do revolutions begin? Where does change begin? From the students.”

This was the reason why he lent his voice to the event.


Akbayan Representative Walden Bello sings Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Get Up, Stand Up” with musician and activist Noel Cabangon. Photo by Analy Labor, InterAksyon.com.


“I’m here because there is a need to protect the rights of students inside the schools. There should still be room where they can express their sentiments without fear from being suspended or expelled, etcetera.” Respect, he added, should also be given to “the right for students to be heard not only in the issues (at) school but also the issues outside of it, because they are also first and foremost citizens of this country.”

Four other musical acts made heads bob during the celebration: Kaleidoscope Eyes, Jensen Gomez, She’s Only Sixteen, and Miko Pepito.


These students marched along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, calling for a piece of legislation that will protect their rights and welfare. Photo by Analy Labor, InterAksyon.com.


“It was fun for everyone,” said Mickey Eva, leader of the event’s organizing team and president of the Coalition for Students’ Rights and Welfare. The group is made up of student organizations all over the country. “It was the first time that the celebration for students’ rights and welfare, and for International Students’ Day, was this big. I’m very fulfilled that these organizations came together, worked with each other, for the promotion of students’ rights and welfare.”

With lawmakers and civil society organizations supporting them, he said, “It gives us optimism and hope.”

InterAksyon.com is a proud media partner of the event. ###



InterAksyon.com
Click for the original InterAksyon.com article HERE.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Students parade for their rights on Int’l Student’s Day, November 17


By Elyse Go, InterAksyon.com · Friday, November 16, 2012 · 5:48 pm



“#SARAPMAGINGESTUDYANTE lalo pag napasa ang STRAW Bill” is probably what these college students would want to shout out as 1,000 participants  are expected to march along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on November 17 (Saturday) in observance of International Students’ Day.

The parade is inspired by the annual event commemorated in Europe that began with political origins but later on evolved with the intention of celebrating the diversity of cultures thriving in its universities.

Mickey Eva VIII, president of the Student’s Rights and Welfare group, an alliance of 60 organizations and 40 universities nationwide, said in a media conference that for the first time, the Philippines will be celebrating International Students Day with the rest of the world through its lineup of activities.

In the same media conference, Eva said that the mission of the national commemoration is to show the important voice of the youth in shaping the country’s future. Thus, the coalition, she adds, is also pushing for the legislations of the Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Bill or House Bill No. 2190.

Former Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros, champion of the Bill, describes the significance of the event: “It is the worldwide event that honors the push for the rights and capabilities of the students, as in the Philippines, through the call for passage of the Students Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Bill.”

The parade starts outside Ateneo’s Blue Eagle gym at 3 pm and to sent off by Ateneo’s Sanggunian President Gio Alejo. It will end at the steps of UP Diliman’s Palma Hall at 5 pm, where a concert will take off.

Part of the concert program are messages by Akbyan Party List Rep. Walden Bello, author of the Bill; Asec. Gio Tingson, Commissioner at Large of NYC; Hon. Cecilia Quisumbing, Commission on Human Rights; Mr. Harvey Keh of Kaya Natin; Noel Cabangon, Vice President of Dakila; and Ms. Christine Violago, World Youth Alliance Regional Director; and Mr. Lance Katigbak, Executive board member of Philippine Model Congress.

In partnership with the STRAW coalition are other organizations: the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, National Youth Parliament, Akbayan Youth, Young Progressives Southeast Asia, and Dakila.

Hontiveros and Eva will lead a pledge of commitment and signing of manifesto in support of of the Bill, to be witnessed by other invited political leaders and government officials.

The concert program of activities shall be hosted by UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunalaran.

With the theme #Sarapmagingestudyante, college bands will be performing alongside special guests such as Noel Cabangon, Crazy as Pinoy, Baihana, Jensen Gomez, Anton and the Salvadors, MIko Pepito, She’s Only Sixteen, and Kaleidoscope.



InterAksyon.com
Click for the original InterAksyon.com article HERE.
Related Posts with Thumbnails