Kabataan solon seeks filing resolution to probe UST admin issue

Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel (Photo from his Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines —  Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel is planning to file a resolution seeking to probe the alleged rampant violations of democratic rights committed by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) administration against its students following the takedown of a “harmless photo” previously posted on the social media pages of TomasinoWeb.

Last February 15, a photo posted on TomasinoWeb’s social media platforms went viral after students poked fun at it. The image features two students entering a convenience store wearing a uniform that resembles the one worn by its crews.

However, UST’s Office of Student Affairs (OSA) reportedly ordered the removal of the picture from the digital media organization’s pages as it supposedly earned “public ridicule” from the students of the College of Information and Computing Sciences (CICS).

During Wednesday’s session of the House of Representatives, Manuel bared his plan after narrating the supposed repressions committed by the OSA, which he said did not stop on taking down the photo.

“This representation intends to file a house resolution to investigate the rampant violations of democratic rights in UST as a reflection of other cases in other academic institutions,” Manual told other lawmakers.

“And we also aim to hold Maria Cecilia Tio Cuison, OSA director, and Maria Regina Arriero, OSA assistant director, accountable,” he added.

Aside from the photo’s removal. Manuel narrated that OSA likewise ordered TomasinoWeb to issue a public apology, after which the organization’s advisor, Philippine Star editor Leo Laparan II, resigned from his post on February 19, placing TomasinoWeb’s publications on its social media pages on hold.

READ: UST admin continues to draw flak for TomasinoWeb photo takedown

On the same day and the following days, he said UST students staged several protests while more College Information and Computer Sciences students posed in front of the convenience store wearing their Type B uniforms.

These actions, however, reportedly prompted the university administration to place yellow tape in front of the store, saying that it needed to “fix” the stairs near the area. Manuel added that OSA also issued a show cause notice against a student for supporting TomasinoWeb through a series of protests within the campus.

“Sa halip na show cause order ang ipataw sa mga estudyante ng UST baka ang tanong what if ang mga repressive officials nila ay ipatawag natin sa kamara?” the lawmaker asked.

(Instead of issuing a show cause order against UST students, maybe we should ask: what if we call the repressive officials here in Congress?)

“Dahil nangyayari ito sa isang administration na seemingly untouchable at tinatrato nilang teritoryo nila ang academic institution sa halip na magfoster ng creative and critical thinking sa mga estudyante ganito pa ang ginagawa?” he added.

(Because of what is happening, the administration acts untouchable and treats UST as their territory. Instead of fostering creative and critical thinking among its students, this is what they’re doing?)

He also condemned the repressions in UST, especially to student journalists and other students rallying for their rights.

“Di na lang litrato ang pinulis pati ang galaw ng estudyanteng nakisimpatya sa TomasinoWeb ay pinapulis. Wala na po tayo sa dark ages, wala na tayo sa era ng prayle nung Spanish Colonization,” Manuel stressed.

(Not only the photos, but they also control students’ movement by sympathizing with TomasinoWeb. We are no longer in the dark ages, even in the Spanish Colonization era.)