Baguio Students Hit Campus Repression, Excessive Increases

The University of Baguio (UB) Office of Student Affairs (OSA) threatened to file an administrative case of illegal assembly/rally/demonstration against eleven (11) UB student leaders and certain John Does after the students staged a protest action against UB’s proposed 7.5 percent school fee hike. 

BY PINK-JEAN FANGON MELEGRITO
NORTHERN DISPATCH
Posted by Bulatlat

BAGUIO CITY — The University of Baguio (UB) Office of Student Affairs (OSA) threatened to file an administrative case of illegal assembly/rally/demonstration against eleven (11) UB student leaders and certain John Does after the students staged a protest action against UB’s proposed 7.5 percent 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.  The alleged infraction carried 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 that what they did was a right guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution. He stressed that the 1987 Constitution is superior to the UB Student Handbook.

Dialogue

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 the OSA and university 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.

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 supported the UB students.  

A Nordis reporter covering the assembly was also harassed by UB head marshal Fontanos (no name was given). He punched the said reporter when the latter asked if the administration ordered the dispersal.

“The UB administration knows that the marshals are abusive even when checking IDs.  Apparently, no action was taken to reprimand them,” Lupian lamented in Filipino.

Sparking the plug 

The UB students, led by UB-SSC, have been lobbying for a minimal fee increase. With the implementation of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Memorandum number 14, unilateral fee increases without prior consultation are allowed.

National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) Baguio-Benguet Coordinator John Panem said, school fees should not be combined with ambiguous fees like miscellaneous fees, development fees, cultural fees.

The UB-SSC said, in a position paper, that UB’s audited financial statement, submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), revealed that UB has an average annual income of P22.69M ( $443,337 at $1: P51.18) for the past six years. The paper added that UB spent excessively for donations (P1.4M or $27,354), conference and workshops (P1M or $19,538), advertisement and promotions (P4.5M or $87,924); and anniversary expenses and awards (P6.2M or $121,141).

“We, the UB students, demand that the proposed increases be deferred on the principle of ‘service over profit’”, Lupian concluded.

Meanwhile, students from St. Louis University (SLU), University of the Cordilleras (UC), Baguio Central University, Baguio Educational Technical Institute and the University of the Philippines - Baguio massed up in front of their schools and marched towards Igorot Park March 1 to protest tuition fee increases or TFI.

Christel Maureen Eisma, SLU 2^nd year student, said that protests against the seven percent TFI at SLU was done inside the campus and not at the main gate where previous mass actions were held. The administration  of SLU threatened the SLU student council president with expulsion.

Eisma said that SLU is not suffering from any economic constraint to justify the increase. Data from the SEC reveals that SLU has P1.1 billion ($21,492,770) in savings. 

UP Baguio students supported the campaign to lower school fees. They are also protesting against the budget cut for UP amounting to P6.5 million ($127,002). 

At the Igorot Park, the students, from different schools, agreed on a common stand against campus repression and school fee hikes. Pink-Jean Fangon Melegrito, with reports from Elena Dionisio/Posted by Bulatlat. 

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