Frat violence mars sem opening Page 4

Philippine Collegian Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman 22 Nobyembre 2011 Taon 89, Blg. 17

Progress*
Terminal Cases Delfin Mercado

Coup de grce
A decade of travesties. A decade of lies. And now finally, a glimpse of justice.
Editorial

Artwork by Ysa Calinawan

Notes from prison

Features Page 9

Break-up blues
Opinyon Pahina 10

Masama bang tawaging abnoy si Budoy?

Kultura Pahina 6-7

e patient, they say. These things are without a doubt, necessary. The forced evictions, the smashing of homes, the relocation of families from their places of work to some unknown site near mountains are all part and parcel of a grand development plan. Whole families, with children who can barely walk and talk, might wander the streets after everything, but be consoled. There are no casualties, everyone got out of the rubble alive. Some were injured. Still, most survived the clearing operations without a scratch. Clearly, they have enough experience in this business to perform like professionals. You see, these things happen all the time. These things are so common; no one really thinks much of them. That is the way it should be, in this age where some good things are traded for better things. Like the homes of thousands for big, tall buildings for businessmen and investors. Like communities for sprawling spaces of gray concrete and fake greens. Their rationale for uprooting communities sounds like an overused sales pitch, but they are confident and reliable. Believe them when they say: the best is yet to come. In a few years time, these pieces of land now occupied with shanties will be commercial centers brimming with life. The buildings, made of concrete and glass, will shine when light strikes them, bright enough to blind us, and there will be parks with fountains and palm trees from the beach. The air inside these buildings will be rid of the smell of impoverished urban life; instead, the air will smell of apples, red and green, and lemons. People would want to walk in these buildings just to take a whiff of the fruity air of commercethe addictive fragrance associated with posh places and overseas loot. The imagery does not sound so bad. These buildings could only be erected once these areas are clearedof homes, of people. Demolitions and evictions are thus needed. Fires, especially in strategic times, are also plausible recourses in these clearing operations. That doesnt mean, however, that they burn homes. Most of the time, fires just happen by accident. These acts of violence, as some are wont to call them, are a small sum to pay for the promise of the revitalized metropolis. Who hates air-conditioned malls? No one. Who does not want to walk in modern parks, and stroll hand-inhand with a lover or with friends? No one. Who opposes progress? No one. No one. And yet, they need to remind us to be patient.
* On the dawn of November 20, a fire razed a portion of a residential area near the National Irrigation Administration. Four died, while 500 families lost their homes and properties. The place where the fire occurred is part of the land area allotted for the Quezon City Central Business District.

2 Kul Opinyon

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

Coup de grce
We have waited long enough. Finally, more than four years after Gloria Arroyo committed electoral sabotage in the 2007 elections, 17 months after Benigno Aquino III assumed the presidency, Arroyo has finally been arrested. Indeed, Arroyos hospital arrest is the first step to justice. Yet, amid this victory, vigilance must be practiced to ensure that this first step will end in her conviction. Given the numerous crimes Arroyo has committed during her term as president, electoral sabotage barely touches the tip of the iceberg. For beyond the charges of electoral sabotage, over 20 criminal charges remains to be filed against Arroyo. And she must be held accountable for all of them. After all, the 2007 elections is not the only instance wherein Arroyo allegedly rigged the election results. In 2004 after breaking a public vow that she would not run for President after finishing her predecessor Joseph Estradas term Arroyo won by a margin of one million with the help of former Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, in what would become known as the Hello Garci scandal. What Arroyo has done to obtain power is nothing compared to what she has done while she had it as president. Arroyos term was tainted with numerous corruption scandals such as the National Broadband Network ZTE Corporation deal and the fertilizer fund scam. Her lavish lifestyle at the height of her power spending P1 million for a single meal during a state trip to the United States of America was a stark contrast to the condition of the vast majority of Filipinos who struggled with less than P50 a day for food; a harrowing reminder of how detached she has been to her

QUOTED
If the US government is supporting the Philippine government to kill people, to launch wars against the civilians, then they must stop.
Mama, a Maguindanaoan farmer and victim of a government aerial attack, aljazeera.com, November 15, 2011 Mohaliden
LuigiJanno Gonzales Almuena

Editoryal

constituents who bore the brunt of her palliative economic policies. How Arroyo has remained in power even after committing all these crimes can only be attributed to the methods she used in gaining allies and silencing her critics. Arroyos term was one of the bloodiest in terms of human rights violations (HRVs), with more than 1,000 victims of extrajudicial killings and hundreds of political prisoners, of which most were journalists and activists, her staunchest critics. Even UP students are solidly opposed against her regime. Two of the victims of these HRVs, in fact, are UP students Karen Empeo and Sherlyn Cadapan, who were abducted in 2006 by military elements and until now, remain missing. When Arroyo faced the threat of becoming a prisoner herself, she tried to leave the country, citing that her conditions bone mineral deficiency and hypoparathyroidism

were in need of immediate foreign treatment when in fact the treatments of such diseases are readily available here in the Philippines. When she was blocked from leaving the country, her family members branded the act as cruelty. Certainly, the sight of the former president confined to a wheelchair, strapped with braces, is a pitiful sight. Yet no amount of pity should distract the current administration from the pursuit of justice. Not to mention, after a track record riddled with lies, even Arroyo must be expecting the skepticism from those who challenge the severity of her condition. The Aquino administration, however, has failed to take a strong stand against Arroyo. For instance, when Arroyo insisted to have her treatment abroad, Aquino sought a compromise by offering to use public funds to ferry in foreign doctors. This, indeed, is a ridiculous suggestion. If Arroyo distrusts the local medical community, she must

spend her own money instead. Amid the spectacle of Arroyos attempted flight, subsequent arrest, and pending trial, however, we must not forget the core principle at stake: the pursuit of justice. We remind the Aquino administration that this does not only involve prosecuting Arroyo. Countless other crimes of her regime remain unresolved, from political prisoners still unjustly imprisoned to victims of extrajudicial killings whose murderers remain at large. Arroyos arrest for electoral sabotage is only the beginning. As Arroyo continues to have allies in the Supreme Court, in the legislature and in local government units, the road to justice will be a tumultuous one. Vigilance then becomes necessary. The peoples welfare and clamor for justice must triumph over Arroyos attempts to evade justice. The people have waited long enough. It is then Aquinos task to ensure that there is an end to the waiting.

507 days is 507 days. If somebody can go to heaven after 100 days, how come President Arroyo is still not sent to hell after 507 days?
Fernando Hicap, national

chair of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, allvoices.com, November 20, 2011

Philippine Collegian www.philippinecollegian.org

Punong Patnugot Marjohara S. Tucay Kapatnugot Pauline Gidget R. Estella Tagapamahalang Patnugot Dianne Marah E. Sayaman Panauhing Patnugot Glenn Diaz, Larissa Mae A. Suarez Patnugot sa Lathalain Mila Ana Estrella S. Polinar Patnugot sa Grapiks Chris Martin T. Imperial, Ruth Danielle R. Aliposa Tagapamahala ng Pinansya Richard Jacob N. Dy Mga kawani Ma. Katherine Elona, Kevin Mark Gomez, Marianne Rios Pinansiya Amelyn J. Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales, Ricky Kawat, Amelito Jaena, Glenario Ommalin Mga Katuwang na Kawani Trinidad Gabales, Gina Villas Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Plipinas Diliman, Lungsod Quezon Telefax 981-8500 lokal 4522 Email kule1112@gmail.com Website philippinecollegian.org Kasapi Solidaridad: UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers Organizations, College Editors Guild of the Philippines

My father died two weeks ago of heart attack after learning I was going to testify in this murder case. My father died because of the Maguindanao massacre.
Aldrin Forro, Scene of Crime
Operative Inspector, gmanews.tv, November 17, 2011

3 Kul Balita

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

Changing student demographics result of decreasing state subsidy, TFI

Kevin Mark Gomez
Student leaders slammed Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Florencio Abads latest pronouncement that additional cuts may be imposed on state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the coming years if state schools are unable to prove that they still cater to the poor. If you dont show reform, then there will no longer be appetite in the government to invest in SUCs, Abad said in a special assembly of SUC officials in the Cordillera and Ilocos regions at Benguet State University on November 12. Administrators of SUCs need to reexamine the demographics of their students to ensure that majority of students enrolled in public higher education institutions still belong to the lowest income brackets, Abad said. The budget secretary explained that insufficient funds have shaped a new policy on tertiary education, adding that an actual data showing which SUCs serve their intended clientele will help in the determination of regional universities. President Aquino wants SUCs to define their strengths and eventually specialize on courses related to priority industries like business process outsourcing (BPO) and electronics and semiconductors among others, while those that would not pass as regional universities can focus on research and development or become community colleges, Abad said. However, the changing demographics of students enrolled in state schools can be rooted to the lack of government support for SUCs, Student Regent Maria Kristina Conti said. With the decreasing allocation for SUCs in the past years, schools were compelled to increase tuition and other fees, and in effect limiting the capacity of students from low-income families to enroll. Kung lumabas mang hindi nagkecater ang isang SUC sa mga mahihirap, nangangahulugan lang itong hindi naaabot ng mga mahihirap kahit mismo ang mga pampublikong pamantasan dala ng mataas na bayaring idinulot ng patuloy na pagkaltas sa badyet ng edukasyon,said UP Diliman University Student Council Student Rights and Welfare Committee Chair Soraya Escandor. In UP Diliman, for example, enrollment dropped by 4.5 percent in academic year 2008-2009 after the implementation of the 300 percent tuition and other fees increase in 2007. Rising student loan trends were also recorded in subsequent years, signifying that more students are unable to afford the higher rates, Conti explained.

Dubious intention

Student leaders have also expressed reservations on the governments intention to reduce the numbers of SUCs, and establish regional universities that focus on industries that do not support the countrys genuine development, Conti said. Kahina-hinala itong key industries na target ng mga regional universities, especially BPO where capital is concentrated on other countries, she added. If Abads pronouncement is implemented, it will promote the establishment of regional centers unfit for the countrys archipelagic nature and would only undermine diversity the academe holds dear, Conti explained.

BLAZING PROTEST. In relation to the recent visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the country, students burn a fake US flag (Above) in front of Palma Hall on November 17. Condemning the skewed USRP relationship, the group called for the immediate abolition of the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement. (Left) Meanwhile, the police violently dispersed the protesters who blocked Clintons convoy. Chris Martin Imperial and Danny Pata

Senate to increase SUCs budget by P322M

Isabella Patricia Borlaza
The Senate has proposed increases in the allocation for state universities and colleges (SUCs) next year, rechanneling funds from other government agencies to fund research in agriculture, science and technology and other vital industries in the country. As senators wrap up the plenary deliberations on the 2012 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on November 21, Senate Finance Committee Vice Chairman Edgardo Angara disclosed that an estimated P322 million has been realigned to SUCs from the budget of departments, including the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd). The realignment is part of a plan to form innovative clusters, an intergovernmental effort which aims to fund research in qualified institutions to find solutions to the nations problems through innovation programs, Angara explained. While the exact figures of the proposed amendments for the budget of SUCs are set to be finalized within the week, Angara assured that the amount will definitely increase. On October 11, the House of Representatives approved on third reading a budget of P22.09 billion for all 112 SUCs for next year. This is P200 million higher than the P21.89 originally proposed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the 2012 National Expenditure Program. For the UP System, the Senate proposed an additional budget of almost P300 million for the purchase of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and an X-ray machine for the Philippine General Hospital, Angara said. Senators are wrapping up the budget deliberations and are set to pass their version of the GAB on third reading within this week. The Bicameral Committee, composed of representatives of both chambers of Congress, will then meet to reconcile the two versions of the bill. The consolidated GAB will then be submitted to Aquino to be signed into law before the year ends. To benefit from the Senates proposed realignments, SUCs need to focus on developing practical technologies to resolve national issues such as food security, health and wellness, and knowledge access, Angara said. For instance, CHEds Higher Education Development Fund will share funding with SUCs in Cordillera for cultural preservation, biodiversity protection and climate change adaptation, according to Angara. Meanwhile, institutions under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have also agreed to collaborate with chosen SUCs for projects, such as Cloud Computing and Software as a Service, Smart Agriculture and Precision Farming, Responsible Mining Technologies, and Natural Health and Nutritional Products. Though the additional funding for research is a welcome development, SUCs still need to receive additional funds for maintenance and other operating expenses to pay for utilities such as water and electricity expenses, and capital outlay for building infrastructures, said UP Diliman University Student Council Chair Gemimah Grace Garcia. Kayat tuloy ang panawagan para sa sapat na budget for education and social services, Garcia added.

Frat violence mars sem opening

Keith Richard D. Mariano
The second semester began with yet another spate of fraternityrelated violence inside and outside the campus, with numerous clashes between members of the Alpha Sigma (Masig) and Alpha Phi Beta (APB) fraternities recorded in the past days. Members of the two fraternities were tagged in a car chase incident along the University Avenue on November 16. University Student Council (USC) Councilor Raphael Pangalanan was dropping off a Masig colleague in front of College of Science (CS) Library when five APB members on board a Starex van allegedly hit the rear window of his car with pipes. Driving his damaged vehicle, Pangalanan ran after the APB members van from CS to the University Avenue. The chase ended when the said van crashed into a traffic signage at the center island of the University Avenue, according to Pangalanans statement to the UP Diliman Police. However, a guard dispatched at the Security Checkpoint along University Avenue said he saw two cars, a Toyota Vios and a Toyota Crown, chasing the van. When the van got stuck in the center island of the University Avenue, a Masig member then got off one of the two Toyota cars and smashed the vans windshield and windows, the guard who requested anonymity for fear of retribution told the Collegian. The APB members managed to escape but the police recovered the drivers license of Jaime Sandino from the van. Pangalanan, meanwhile, identified Ravelaez Medina as one of the five APB members involved in the car chase. APB and Masig signed a truce at the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) on November 18, two days after the said incident. We really want to end it. Hindi lang naman kasi kami ang naapektuhan kundi buong UP. Hopefully, we will learn a lesson from this, said APB Chancellor Ricky Sabornay. It has been our policy not to engage to violence [but] it was unfortunate na maraming sumusubok sa amin that we are pushed to the wall to defend ourselves, Sabornay added. The Collegian tried to reach Masig for their comment on the issue but the representative of the said fraternity cannot be reached as of press time. Ivan Valcos in one of the comfort rooms at Palma Hall. The incident prompted the OVCSA to order the preventive suspension of all the officers of the two fraternities from October 18 to November 16. The Preventive Suspension issued is not a penalty but an administrative action to prevent further escalation of violence, explained VCSA Ma. Corazon Tan. While officers of the said fraternities were suspended, incidents allegedly involving APB and Masig continued. On October 23, a Masig alumnus allegedly went to Reyes house and hit the APB member. About three weeks after, APB members allegedly hit Masig member Lloyd Cunanan during an event held at the Sunken Garden on November 11. On November 13, Masig members allegedly broke the windows of Reyes car parked at SE. An explosion was heard in front of Reyes house two days after. The SDT is currently conducting a preliminary investigation on members of the Masig and APB fraternities for possible violation of the Revised Rules and Regulations Governing Fraternities, Sororities and other Student Organizations. Under Section 1 of the Revised Rules, member and officers of fraternities, sororities and other student organizations shall be subject to disciplinary action [for] participating in any rumble, engaging in fisticuffs with, or physically attacking a member of other fraternities, sororities or student organizations among others. The penalty for any violation of the Revised Rules ranges from suspensionto expulsion.

4 Kul Balita

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

Anti-frat violence watch relaunched

Series of unfortunate events

With the consecutive fraternityrelated incidents in the campus, meanwhile, the Student-led AntiFraternity Related Violence Watch (SAWA) reconvened on November 18. SAWA is an alliance of student organizations and councils campaigning for the end of fraternityrelated violence in the campus. The alliance was first created by the National College of Public Administration Student Council (NCPAG SC) in 2007 following the death of Cris Anthony Mendez. Mendez, a member of the NCPAG SC, died in August 2007 due to alleged hazing activity by the Sigma Rho Fraternity.

UP Alyansa ng mga Iskolar para sa Bayan (ALYANSA), the convenor of the present SAWA, called on the administration to review and properly implement the rules governing fraternities in the university. Make those members of fraternities who are directly involved and identified in cases of fraternityrelated violence legally accountable in the Student Disciplinary Tribunal. Peace accords are not enough, according to ALYANSA. While we all continue to work with the administration in formulating measures to ensure safety for the UP community, the ultimate solution depends on our conviction to act for change. It is in their internal decisiveness that will end this cycle of violence, according to a statement issued by the USC.

The clash between the two fraternities started on August 16 when School of Economics (SE) Student Council Chairperson Kehrl Reyes and another member of APB were hurt in a rumble with Masig members along Roces Street near Palma Hall. On October 13, the OVCSA brokered a truce between the two fraternities, with representatives from each fraternity signing a Memorandum of Agreement to voluntarily and finally cease and desist from any and all hostilities, within and without the premises of the University of the Philippines. However, on October 17, APB members allegedly hit Masig member

Admin expects new student code next AY

Keith Richard D. Mariano
The UP Diliman (UPD) administration is planning to implement a new Student Manual (SM), which will consolidate the provisions of the 2010 draft Code of Student Conduct (CSC) and the draft Student Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities (SHRR), next academic year. The Office of the Chancellor (OC) and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) are currently in the process of combining and harmonizing the 2010 proposed CSC drafted by several members of the faculty and the SHRR created by students. On June 21, 2010, the University Council (UC) approved the adoption of the 2010 draft CSC, which was supposed to replace the 1976 Student Guide. The CSC, a set of rules governing all affairs on student discipline and conduct, was first drafted in 2009 and later revised in 2010. However, various student organizations criticized the CSC primarily due to the non-inclusion of a student representative during its drafting period. Then VCSA Elizabeth Enriquez and members of the CSC drafting committee did not allow a student representative to take part in the creation of the CSC, explaining that only faculty members can be part of any UC subcommittee. The fact na hindi represented ang mga estudyante sa drafting committee, hindi paradigm ng mga estudyante ang nangibabaw. Ang hinahanap ng mga estudyante ay isang code na hindi kikitil sa kanilang karapatan bagkus ay magsusulong pa lalo nito, said UPD University Student Council Chairperson Jemimah Grace Garcia. When Chancellor Caesar Saloma assumed office in March, he formed the Student Review Committee (SRC) to review and suggest amendments to the 2010 draft CSC. The committee was headed by Garcia and UP Student Regent Ma. Kristina Conti. The SRC decided to abandon the CSC and crafted the SHRR instead. The proposed handbook is entirely different from the CSC as it aims to highlight the rights of students, said Garcia. The review committee submitted the SHRR to the OC on September. However, the administration cannot disregard the CSC since it was already approved by the UC, explained Saloma. The new SM will combine the contents of the 2010 CSC and the 2011 SHRR, he added. The OC is set to report the status of the draft SM to the UC in December. The final draft of the manual will then be presented to the UC for approval in April, in time for implementation in academic year 2012-2013, said Saloma. [The new SM] should not only contain [provisions] and [their] corresponding penalties. It should also explain the rights of students as well as their obligations and responsibilities to their fellow students, teachers, and duly-appointed UP officials, Saloma said.

LLAMADO. Masusing inooperahan ni Anacleto Oliva, 52, ang mga sugatang manok sa isang sabungan sa Bay,Laguna. Sa loob ng mahigit 20 taon, nahasa siya bilang cut doctor na nagsasalba ng mga sugatang manok. Kumikita si Oliva ng tinatayang P1,500 linggu-linggo, na pilit niyang pinagkakasya para sa pang-araw-araw niyang pangangailangan. Airnel T. Abarra

5 Kul Balita

Convict GMA of crimes against nation

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

Joan C. Cordero
With Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo now under hospital arrest, militant groups now call on the Aquino government to hasten the filing and processing of other cases against the former president. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Joint Investigating Committee charged Arroyo with electoral sabotage in connection with the 2007 presidential elections, barring her from leaving the country amid an unprecedented standoff between the Supreme Court (SC) and the Executive Branch last week. After a preliminary investigation of the case, the DOJ-Comelec panel recommended the filing of charges against Arroyo, former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr., Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and Former Election Supervisor Lintang Bedol. On Friday, Comelec filed the election sabotage case against Arroyo. Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 promptly ordered a warrant of arrest against Arroyo. After more than 500 days in office, the Aquino government finally has a criminal case filed against GMA...It is indeed possible to hasten the filing of cases against the former president, said Renato Reyes, secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN). Aside from election-related cases, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casio also filed a complaint on the National Broadband Network ZTE Corporation (NBN-ZTE) anomaly, although only election cases were acted upon as of press time.

appointment of a legal representative who will receive subpooenas and legal documents in thePhilippines. However, DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima declared the watch order remained effective even after the SC issued the TRO, prompting a standoff between the two branches of government. In the morning of November 18, Friday, the SC upheld the unconstitutionality of the travel ban since no cases were filed against Arroyo at the time. On the same day, the Comelec filed nonbailable electoral sabotage charges against Arroyo, former Maguindanao Ampatuan Sr. and former Comelec Election Supervisor Bedol. A warrant of arrest was released in the afternoon by Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, and was served by the police to Arroyo in her hospital room at St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City. Had President Aquino accompanied the rhetoric and blame game with prompt and concrete legal actions in prosecuting the Arroyos as part of its campaign against corruption, it would not have come to this high drama, said Attorney Edre Olalia, secretarygeneral of the National Union of Peoples Lawyers.

Unfinished business

Standoff

On November 7, the DOJ-Comelec Investigating Committee issued a travel ban prohibiting Gloria Arroyo and several colleagues from leaving the country. In response, the Arroyo camp filed a petition before the SC to lift the DOJs order and allow her to travel for medication. The SC issued a Temporary Restraining Order on November 15 which allowed Arroyo and her collegues to leave the country after satisfying three conditions posting a P2-million bond, regular reporting to the Philippine Embassy, and

MAPAGMATYAG. Hawak ng isang lalaki ang placard na nagpapahayag ng kanyang kahilingang panagutin at huwag payagang makaalis ng bansa si dating pangulong Gloria Arroyo sa isang kilos-protesta sa harap ng Korte Suprema noong Nobyembre 18. Bumoto ang Korte pabor sa pag-alis ng bansa ni Arroyo, ngunit naipawalang-bisa ang desisyon matapos maglabas ng warrant of arrest laban kay Arroyo ang Pasay Regional Trial Court bunsod ng kasong pandaraya sa eleksyon. Richard Jacob Dy

Meanwhile, militant groups urged the Aquino administration to file other cases against Arroyo, including plunder and human rights violations. Aquino should see to it that the cases filed by the Morong 43 and UCCP vs. GMA, et al will be given immediate and due course, said Cristina Palabay, convenor of End Impunity Alliance. As of press time, the government has filed only two electoral sabotage cases charged against Arroyo. It has always been the people who have been decisive in levelling charges against GMA like the NBN-ZTE, the fertilizer fund scam, and her liability in perpetrating extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, according to the National Union of the Students of the Philippines. The Aquino government should ensure that Arroyo will finally be made accountable for plunder, gross human rights violations and election fraud, according to BAYAN, an alliance of sectoral organizations.

H T T P : / / W W W. P H I L I P P I N E C O L L E G I A N . O R G

6-7 Kul Kultura

OF GATE KEEPERS AND YOUNG TURKS

Mary Joy T. Capistrano

TULAK NG BIBIG

Sarah Raymundo*

Propriety is the first defense of those who feed from power- Arnold Alamon, 2011

Maraming tawag kay Mang Ricardo* pilay, putolpaa at ang pinakamasakit sa lahat, inutil. Gaano man kasakit ang mga salitang ito, hindi na lang ito pinapansin ni Mang Ricardo, 55. Dahil sa kanyang kalagayan, wala siyang makuhang trabaho at nauwi na lamang sa panlilimos sa tapat ng isang simbahan sa Concepcion, Marikina. Pinutol ang kanyang mga paa dalawang taon na ang nakalipas matapos siyang mabundol ng isang malaking trak. Marami mang mga salitang naririnig si Mang Ricardo mula sa ibang tao, hindi niya iyon alintana. Bagkus ay nagpapasalamat pa siya at nabuhay siya. Tanging ang kapakanan ng kanyang pamilya ang kanyang inalala.

Recent events across the globe seem to have captured the imagination of ordinary people. The need to a context for a multitude of stimuli and interpretations cannot be overstated. One of those significant sites of culture and resistance took place right here when our very own Broadcast Communication Major and Philippine Collegian Editor-In-Chief Marjohara Tucay intervened in a program that featured Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. His mode of intervention approximates a lightning rally usually held by group of activists to protest an urgent issue. What differentiates a lightning rally from a mass demonstration is its characteristic swiftness that comes with a bombshell effect. Tucays intervention satisfies all that, except for the fact that it was a solo act of defiance. He burst in right on the scene protesting

filtered out and who must not get anywhere near their territory. Objectivity and ethics are two values that are almost always cited in the gatekeepers filtering procedures. In response to some issues raised in a Facebook note entitled Reflections on the heckling by media practitioner, Alaysa Escandor, Severino engages by posting the following comments: (1) Wala akong angal kung nais magprotesta sa forum o mambato ng sapatos ang isang tao. Just dont call yourself a journalist. Hindi yan ang Gawain ng isang journalist (2)The best journalists that I have encountered in 23 years in journalism,[]would not use a forum or presscon to shout slogansnot because they have no personal beliefs (we all do) but for very practical reasons: no one would invite us or allow us to gain access to any event where we can ask questions and gain information that the public needs to know. And if other journalists use those occasions not

Bansag

May mga salita raw na dapat itawag sa mga katulad ni Mang Ricardo na nakabatay sa pamantayan ng maayos na pagsasalita at pagkilos. Sa halip na putol-paa, mas higit daw na wasto ang salitang physically disabled o differently abled para sa mga taong pipi, bulag, pilay at mga taong may kung anu-ano pang pisikal na kapansanan. Pinaparusahan ang mga taong gumagamit ng mga salita at ideyang ipinagbabawal ng batas sapagkat pinaniniwalaan na ito ay politically incorrect.

ng Pilipinas (KBP) ang nagsisilbing bantay at tagapamahala sa pagsusuri at pagkaklasipika sa mga programa at pelikulang ipinapalabas sa telebisyon. Marami sa mga nasuring palabas ang ipinagbawal ng MTRCB at KBP dahil sa mga bastos na salitang nakapaloob dito at mga gawing hindi angkop sa mga batang manonood. Mapapansin sa mga programa sa telebisyon ang unti-unting pagiging maingat ng mga artista, reporters at kung sino pa na gumagamit ng salitang homosexual (bakla, shokla, bading, binabae), visually challenged (blind), vertically challenged (midget), pathologically high-spirited (psychotic) at marami pang iba. Dahil dito, nagkaroon ng panibagong dimensyon ang mga datiy inosenteng salita. Ang political correctnesss ay isang ideological virus na nagdidiin sa pagbabago o pagsasalin sa anumang paniniwala ng isang tao, ayon sa English artist na si Michael Barnard. May sariling personalidad ang midya; ito ang nagdedesisyon kung ano ang tama at mali. Ilan sa mga programang tinatangkilik sa telebisyon ang mga palabas katulad ng Budoy, Bakekang, Nita Negrita kung saan tinutukso ang mga bida sa kanilang kalagayan, sinasabihan ng masasakit na salita at kinakawawa. Sa mga palabas na ito, ginagawang madrama ang buhay ng mga bidang

the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement. This act of defiance was not only addressed to Hilary Clinton, it definitely affected spectators of global TV as well as managers of corporate media. But most disturbing and stunning of all is the lingering message embodied in Tucays act: Journalism would not be worth an hours trouble if it did not bear upon itself the duty of imparting a critique of the human condition.

Objectivity and Ethics

may kapansanan. Itinatampok ng midya ang mga istoryang nagpapakita ng kanilang pagpapahalaga sa mga taong kaapi-api sa lipunan. Sa bawat tagpo ng eksena, makikita na moralidad ang pangunahing pamantayan ng kwento. Ngunit kasabay nito ang pagtataguyod sa sariling interes ng midya, kagaya ng ratings at pagkamal ng kita. Kaya naman maingat ang midya sa pag-eere ng mga ganitong programa at binabantayan ang bawat salitang binibitawan ng mga karakter, reporter at artista. Nais nitong ipatampok ang isang imahe sa publiko na sensitibo sa kalagayan ng anumang sektor sa lipunan.

Healthy expansion of moral concern ang pakahulugan ni Noam Chomsky, isang Amerikanong lingwista, sa political correctness. Naaayon daw ito, aniya, sa tamang pag-uugali. Ilan sa halimbawa ng pagiging politically-correct ang pagtawag na horizontally challenged sa mga taong matataba. Samantalang chronologically advanced naman ang tawag sa mga matatanda bukod pa sa salitang senior. Taong 1960s nang lumitaw ang American New Left, panahon nang magsimulang kumalat ang political correctness. Naging malaking impluwensiya rito ang pagsasalin sa Ingles ng Maoist literature, nang magkaroon ng magkaibang salin ang dalawang magkatunggaling panig, ang right at left. Kung sa una ay isa lamang itong porma ng simpleng tuksuhan, sa kalaunay nahaluan ito ng isyu ng konserbatismo, na nagpasimula sa debate ukol sa political correctness. Sa Pilipinas, unang nakilala ang konsepto noong 1980s, kung kailan talamak ang pagbabago ng mga palisiya, etika ng wika at kurikulum ng mga institusyon at paaralan sa ibang bansa. Mula sa pagiging simpleng pagpapabulaan sa panunukso, naging paraan ito upang ipakita ang tila awa sa mga marginalized. Sa paglipas ng panahon, ipinatupad ang isyu ng pagbabawal sa ilang mga salita hanggang sa ugatin nito ang isyu ng konserbatismo. May mga institusyon ding naglabas ng mga kautusang ipinagbabawal ang paggamit ng ilang mga salitang sinasabing politically incorrect. Isang radikal na halimbawa nito ang pagbabawal ng salitang boy at girl sa La Trobe University sa Australia, dahil sa paniniwalang wala pang kasarian ang mga bata. Dahil hindi pamilyar ang ilan tungkol sa isyu ng political correctness, midya tulad ng telebisyon, radio, at pelikula ang nagiging daan upang mamulat sila sa ganitong usapin.

Balatkayo

As the man of the hour, Tucay made a TV guesting in Howie Severinos show the following day. What was supposed to take place was an interview between two journalists. It only took a few sentences for host Howie Severino to indicate that his show is about to veer away from the usual interview format to accommodate his sermon for the day: Syempre, ang expectation sa isang mamamahayag ay hindi magprotesta kundi magtanong; Yung mga oldfashioned journalists katulad ko, yung training ay nagcocover; May choice ka dun, kung ano ang magiging action mo: mamahayag o protester. His mode of sermonizing begins with the deployment of a binarism: the journalist versus the protester. This construction incorrectly renders these two identities as mutually exclusive and irreconcilable. Moreover, Severinos penchant for relativism is revealed when he questioned Tucays action which, to his mind, did not consider other peoples stand except his own. But why fault Tucay for disregarding the stand of the GRP and the White House on those issues when his point was precisely to make known that as an activistjournalist, he represents a significant sector opposed to the Mutual Defense Treaty? In other words, Severinos contradicting statements mirrors his fields strategies in cultivating and reinforcing a dominant disposition towards global issues that involve inequality and violence. Such strategy, as it appears, combines an insistence on relativism that demands respect for every position-taking alongside a strong prescription to uphold the position of nation-states over that of the protesting people. Yet in practice, and as demonstrated by Severinos reckless handling of Tucay in his own show, the claim on relativism is a card up his sleeves to be drawn when a contrary position is strongly registered and gains mainstream mileage. There is just no objectivity, much less ethics, in a practice that chides fellow citizens on account of corporate medias bias for dominant institutions and leaders of states.

Bantay-salakay

Kung gayon, maaaring tingnan na maganda ang layunin ng political correctness dahil nakakawing ito sa paggalang at tamang pagkilos. Gayunpaman, usapin pa rin ito kung tutuusin ng moralidad at maging ng tunggalian ng kapangyarihan na siyang binuo ng lipunan. Pangunahing pinag-uugatan nito ang konseptong Other, isang paraan ng pagtingin sa tao batay sa kanyang kaibahan sa nakagawian o normative values. Sa agham panlipunan, ginagamit ang othering sa pagsasantabi ng isang grupo sa mga taong pinaniniwalaang hindi nababagay sa lipunang kanilang ginagalawan. Tinatangkang pagaanin ng political correctness ang karahasang nakapaloob sa mga salitang pilay, bulag, bakla, negro, patay gutom at iba pa. Sa unang tingin, tila sinusubukang ituwid ng political correctness ang matagal nang tagibang na katangian ng lipunan. Ngunit kung susumahin, sa halip na harapin ang mga ganitong di-pagkakapantay-pantay, lalo lamang pinapatingkad ng pagiging politically correct ang anumang batayan ng kaibahan ng isang tao o sektor. Sa kalagayan ni Mang Ricardo, hindi na raw niya alintana ang mga sinasabi sa kanya ng ibang tao, anumang salita ang gamitin nila. Lahat ay pare-parehong sakit ang dulot sa kanya. Isa lamang siya sa mga taong labis na nasasaktan maging politically correct man o hindi ang kausap. Sapagkat iwasto man nito ang mga salitang ukol sa kanyang kapintasan, ipinamumukha pa rin nito ang marahas niyang kalagayan. Aniya, walang dahilan upang ipagpilitan ang anumang salita. Alam niyang hindi nadadaan sa laway ang tunay na respeto. *Hindi tunay na pangalan Sa Pilipinas, midya ang isa sa mga nagpalaganap ng ideya ng kagandahang asal at political correctness sa publiko. Ang Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) at Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster
Dibuho ni Rd Aliposa at Luigi Almuena Disenyo ng pahina ni Roanne Descallar

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

The Colonized Gatekeeper

The gatekeepers in every field have the prerogative to decide who must be taken in, who must be

to gain information but instead push a political agenda or be disruptive it creates a cloud of doubt about the motivations about the motivations of other professionals. (3)Young journalists have a choice about what kind of journalist they will be. I needed to raise these concerns with Marjo on the show, lest anyone think that I approved. Severino owns up to the role of a gatekeeper who churns out conflicting orders to aspiring journalists, orders that are consistent with the dominant logic within the field of mass media. First, he makes a strong statement about how Tucays act is unbecoming of a journalist. Then he suddenly plays good cop by claiming an accommodation for every young journalists choice. He even cites pragmatic reasons for discouraging journalists from activism. That protesting journalists might not get invited to the next important media event betrays Severinos very own careerism and opportunism which he misrepresents as ethics for the younger generation of journalists. Curiously, Severino regards a political position-taking as personal belief not to be expressed by journalists. Junk VFA! and There is nothing mutual in the Mutual Defense Treaty! were Tucays resounding statements. His act of defiance is not based on a personal belief but on an historical struggle of colonized peoples against colonial and expansionist violence, against massive loot and murder of humankind on account of Americas dirty wars. That Severino portrays this as mere personal belief is telling of his abject position in the history of the colonizer and the colonized. While recent events prove that people everywhere are indeed fighting back, the disposition of a few colonized citizens remain timid and compliant amidst brazen violence inflicted by the colonizer, yet overbearing and dismissive towards the struggling people. So much for objectivity and ethics, Severino-style. For the maladies of power have very well displayed what is valid and what is vile. *Prof. Sarah Raymundo is a faculty member at the UP Center for International Studies.

8 Kul Kultura
Katherine Elona
Para sa ilang estudyante, ang library ang ideyal na tambayan. Dito, pwedeng mag-internet, magbasa o magpanggap na nagbabasa, at higit sa lahat, pwedeng matulog nang walang naninita. Simple lang naman ang mga patakaran: huwag maingay, huwag magnanakaw ng libro, magbasa muna ng panuto bago magtanong sa masungit na librarian. Masuwerte ang mga taga-UP Diliman at 36 na library ang pwede nilang bisitahin, kabilang ang Main Library at mga lokal na aklatan sa bawat kolehiyo. Pwede tayong mamili ng library kumporme sa subject matter na kailangang i-research, lamig ng aircon o presko ng hangin o kaya swak na ambience para mainam tayong makapag-aral at makakuha ng mga kaalamang maaari nating matutunan sa Unibersidad. Paunang salita Bago ang ikalawang digmaang pandaigdig, ang library sa UP na dating nasa Padre Faura ang kinikilala bilang pinakamahusay at pinakamaayos sa Asya. Hanggang sa kasalukuyan, ipinagmamalaki pa rin ng UP ang lawak ng koleksyon nito. Taglay ng bawat aklatan ang ibat ibang libro, academic journals, peryodikong inilalathala ng ibat ibang institusyon at marami pang iba. Ang College of Arts and Letters library ang isa sa mga pinakabinibisitang library. At sa mga koleksyon ng mga tekstong naririto, pinakamarami iyong tungkol sa language and literature na may 33, 316 titles kumpara sa 486 titles ng Filipino. Gayunpaman, ang Filipiniana section sa Main Library ang nananatiling isa sa pinakamalawak na koleksyon ng unibersidad. S a kabila ng malawak na koleksyon, hindi laging nakaeengganyo ng mambabasa ang mga aklatan sa UP. May ilang library na hindi gaanong nabibisita, maaaring dahil hindi ito gaanong kilala at relatibong maliit kumpara sa iba. Ang Asian Center Library, halimbawa, ay mayroon lamang humigitkumulang 5, 000 bisita noong nakaraang taon samantalang lampas sa 10, 000 ang bisita ng iba pang mga aklatan. Bukod sa pagiging lunan ng mga kaalaman, umaalingawngaw din sa mga pahina ng libro sa mga library ang mahahalagang usapin na kinakaharap ng higit na mas malawak na espasyo sa labas nito. Ayon sa end-ofterm report ni dating UP President Emerlinda Roman, isa sa mga layon ng unibersidad ang pagkakaroon ng better use of knowledge in real-world applications. Mababatid rito ang pagigpaw sa karaniwang tunguhin ng isang unibersidad, dahil bukod sa pagkalap ng mga kaalaman o knowledge, maaaring mga impormasyon na lamang na may pakinabang sa tunay na mundo ang ipinupunta natin sa library at pinag-aaralan natin sa kalakhan. Tala ng nilalaman Mahalaga ang ginagampanang papel ng UP at mga aklatan nito bilang daluyan ng mga diskurso at institusyong pampubliko. Ayon sa pilosopong si Michel Foucault, ang library ay isang network of references na nagsisilbing daluyan ng mga ideya. Sa bawat aklat na naisusulat at naililimbag, m a y pagkiling ng bansa sa Estados Unidos. Ang Americanization ng unibersidad ang isa sa mga kinahaharap na isyu ng UP noon. Maraming general education courses ang Western-oriented at mayroon ding mga Amerikanong guro na nakikibahagi sa mga usapin ng pagpapatakbo ng paaralan. Tagos sa mga dingding ng aklatan ang Americanization ng UP. Karamihan sa mga librong nasa Main Library noon ay pagpapalalim sa mga konseptong maka-Amerikano. Samantala, nananatili sa basement ang iilang teksto patungkol sa sosyalismo na itinuturing na kalaban ng demokrasyang Amerikano, ayon sa editoryal na nailathala sa Philippine Collegian noong 1969. Ang pagpili sa mga librong bibilhin at ilalagay sa library ay batay sa suhestiyon ng mga guro, librarian at estudyante. Sa kasalukuyan, marami sa mga koleksyon ng library sa UP ang galing sa mga alumni, at mayroon ding mga binibili ang mismong institusyon taon-taon. Mahalaga para sa kahit anong institusyong pang-kaalaman tulad ng aklatan ang pagiging updated. Sa panahon kung kailan knowledge-based na ang ekonomiya, anang mga mananaliksik na sina Andrew Barry at Don Slater, higit na mahalagang pagibayuhin ng mga library sa UP ang papel nito bilang aklatan ng premyadong unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Index Isa ang globalisasyon sa mga palisiyang pang-ekonomiko na nagtulak sa pagkakaroon ng madulas na pagdaloy ng

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

impormasyon sa gitna ng sala-salabid na merkado nang ibat ibang bansa. Sa pagdami ng mga scientific, teknikal at panlipunang impormasyon, sa teknolohiya kumapit ang mga gobyernot iba pang industriya upang ayusin ang mga kaalamang hawak nila. Maging ang mga aklatan sa UP, layon na rin ang full automation. Sa pamamagitan ng teknolohiya, waring may tikas ng demokrasya pagdating sa kakayahang mahanap ang mga impormasyon. Subalit kakabit ng usapin ng pag-unlad ng teknolohiya ang pangangailangan sa pinansiya upang pondohan ang mga ito. Naapektuhan din ng teknolohiya maging ang bilang ng mga taong bumibista sa library sa UP. Mula dalawang milyon noong taong 1982, pababa nang pababa ang bilang ng mga bumibisita rito at umabot na lamang sa higit 900, 000 noong 2010. Maiuugat ito sa pagiging available ng mga online journal at e-book, ayon sa datos ng General Reference Section ng Main Library. Kumpara sa makakapal, mabibigat, at mahal na halaga ng pagpapakopya ng readings, higit na mainam ang mga e-book, o mga librong maaaring basahin gamit ang computer at iba pang electronic gadget. Bagaman hindi lahat ay may kakayahang bumili ng gadget para sa e-book, tanyag na ang pagkakaroon nito sa buong mundo. Sa katunayan, binabago nito ang hubog ng larangan ng paglilimbag at pag-access ng mga aklat. Pinaniniwalaang sa tulong ng internet, nagiging mas accessible ang mga libro sa mas maraming mambabasa. Dulot nang mas malayang interaksyon sa digital world, tila wala nang pinag-iba ang pagbebenta ng libro at ordinaryong produkto, ani Bill McCoy, executive director ng International Digital Publishing Forum. Gumagapang man ang katahimikan sa loob ng silid-aklatan, hindi natin maikakaila na apektado ito ng mga ingay ng pagbabago sa labas. Mistulang payapa man ang palitan ng diskurso sa loob ng library, nagpapatuloy pa rin ang digmaan ng mga teoryat paninindigan.
Mga Kuha ni Chris Imperial Disenyo ng Pahina ni Roanne Descallar

semi-silence na natitirat hindi naisasama sa mga ito. Sa tuwing nagsasaliksik tayo sa library, hindi natin nakikita sa iisang libro ang lahat ng kailangan nating hanapin. May mga puwang ang bawat aklat at ito ang pinupunan ng iba pang babasahin. May mga patlang din sa itinuturo ng mga propesor at dinidikta ng required readings sa klase, at inaasahang sa library matatagpuan ang mga materyales na makapupuno sa mga patlang na ito. Sa kabilang banda, ipinagpapalagay ng pagsusuri ni Foucault na hiwalay ang mga library sa mundong nasa labas nito. Para bang walang nagtulak sa atin na pumasok sa library at walang kinalaman sa lipunan ang mga inaaral natin. Sa katunayan, sinasalamin din ng nilalaman ng mga silid-aklatan ang pulitikal na klima at kasaysayan ng bayan at ng mundo. Halimbawa na lamang noong panahon ni dating pangulong Ferdinand Marcos kung kailan higit na matining ang

Mga Inilihim na Tunggalian sa Aklatan

Observe silence

9 Kul Lathalain
Marc Jayson D. Cayabyab
Metal bars surrounded men who sang karaoke and women who gossiped with one another. They were expecting visitors, and the prospect of seeing loved ones excited them. The mood of the political detainees of Batangas Provincial Jail lightened up the solitary and grim atmosphere of the prison that detained them despite their innocence. Moments later, Maricon Montajes, the youngest among the detainees dubbed as the Batangas 7, emerged from the jail cell and greeted her visitors. A former Film student from the UP College of Mass Communication (CMC), Montajes shook hands with the journalists and activists who had come to see her and fellow inmates condition. Kilala ko pa kayo from [CMC] a, she told them, smiling. The Batangas 7 comprises of Maricon, Romiel Caete, Ronilo Baes, Charity Dio, Sonny Rogelio, Billy Batrina and Arnold Evangelista members of progressive organizations who were arrested while documenting and researching on the peasant plight in the province. Maricon, Caete and Baes were arrested June 3, 2010 on charges of possession of fire arms, rebellion, among others while doing documentation work in Taysan, Batangas. those authorities to be unreasonable or unjust, Mrs. Concepcion muses. Perhaps, Maricons mother explains, this is why Maricon grew up to become an activist and fight for peasant rights. Maricons involvement in the farmers struggles began during her stint as photographer for Outcrop, the official student publication of UP Baguio. In her second year, she transferred to UP Diliman and joined the film organization UP Sining at Lipunan (UP Silip), where she learned how to effectively document the struggle of the oppressed masses. Halfway through finishing her Film degree, Maricon left the academe and became a full-time activist. Outside the university, she used films to expose landlessness and the injustice of the feudal system. Kayang salaminin ng pelikula ang tunay na kalagayan ng bansa, Maricon says. Her progressive filmmaking, however, did not sit well with authorities. While she was doing community work and documentation, she was arrested by elements of the Philippine Air Force on charges of being a member of the New Peoples Army, which has been waging a nationwide agrarian revolution since 1969. Philippines surrounded the house where the Taysan 3 temporarily stayed. They peppered the house with bullets, screaming Lumabas na kayo dyan! Mga NPA kayo! Maricon lay down on the floor trying to escape the bullets, but rubble from the house hit her head and knocked her unconscious. Maricon was hospitalized for treatment, sparing her from military interrogation. The other six werent as lucky. Baes recalls how he was made to drink water with soap while being beaten by bayonets. Dio recounts being made to walk naked before sitting on the lap of a military official. The news of her daughters arrest drove Mrs. Concepcion to depression. Struggle as a mother (na matanggap ang pagkakulong ng anak ko), she says on coping with her daughters ordeal, especially as she is aware of her daughters illegal arrest. Behind bars, the Batangas 7 has campaigned for their release through wearing black shirts and holding hunger strikes. They are set to tattoo themselves this December in protest of the national governments rampant arrests and prolonged detention of activists who critique policy and court hearings similar to the Batangas 7 which often proceed at a slow pace. Yet, the unjust detention fails to break Maricons spirit. Somehow she takes pride in being a political prisoner after all, she was incarcerated for fighting a repressive government. government denies the reality of political persecution. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda maintains that there are no political prisoners in the country. Most of the recorded cases were actually criminal in nature, he explains in news reports. However, human rights watchdog Karapatan has recorded that out of the total 354 political prisoners in post-Marcos regimes, 77 are under the Aquino administration. Political prisoners are detained based on his or her political beliefs, according to Karapatan. While presenting a picture of democracy, the government chooses to ignore the situation of political prisoners in the country by arresting progressive individuals, volunteers and cultural workers according to their ideologies, says Angelina Ipong of Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya (Selda). The Supreme Court long ruled that political beliefs should not serve as grounds for incarceration. In a system where social injustice suppresses the rights of its citizens, the government resorts to violence to silence its staunchest critics. Ang kulungan ay bahagi ng pagpapanatili ng karahasan at ang bulok na sistema ng hustisya sa b a n s a ,

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011 Maricon says. Inside the provincial jail, Maricon continues with her organizing work. She has a small cooperative that sells goods and items to sustain the prisoners livelihoods and finance their campaign for their release. Before the visitors left, Maricon handed over a handkerchief from her small cooperative. The handkerchief was silkscreened with the words Free all political prisoners. Indeed, nothing can break the resolve of the Batangas 7 to fight for their rightful release.
Artwork by Richard Jacob Dy Page Design by Roanne Descallar

Detained activist

Defiant filmmaker

After quick introductions, Mrs. Concepcion, Maricons mother, unwrapped the pancit bihon and fried chicken she had brought for lunch. Maricons experience in a strict Christian school probably instilled in her an attitude of defiance towards authority, especially when she believes

The Batangas 7 were arrested in Talisay and Taysan in the middle of community work with farmers and fisherfolk. The Talisay 3Charity, Sonny and Billywere arrested while inviting fisherfolk to a protest action on a planned demolition in the area. Maricon, Romiel and Ronilo comprised the Taysan 3. It was three in the morning when the 743rd Squadron Combat Group of the

Political prisoner

Whenever confronted families and supporters of people like Maricon, the national

by

PRISON BREAK

10 Kul Opinyon
KEVIN MARK GOMEZ

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

Escape plan
Three years. And all I get is a space in this column page. I must admit. There was a time when I found joy seeing my name printed in one of Collegians pages. By the time I joined the weekly publication, I knew nothing of the Collegians prestige, of its respected stature in campus journalism, or its contribution to the university and Philippine society. Everything felt new, and it felt like I had the world for my own. Here in UP, we have a term for this: freshie, newbie, bibo kid, eager beaver. I still remember the days when I looked forward to filling a space in Collegian outside my regular assignment as a features writer. I recall how I practically hoarded the Collegian issue where I wrote my first article. It was about peasants who endured walking hundreds of meters under the scorching heat of the sun, if only to rightfully assert their calls for genuine land reform. I always thought it was fun for a first articleI interviewed one of my sisters as a primary source, I chatted with peasants who did not seem to bother marching their way from Southern Tagalog. I attended my first Peoples SONA to stalk the peasants wherever they went. Looking back, that first assignment is probably one of my most remarkable experiences in the student paper, my first bold attempt to actually explore my side as a writer. But that was back then. Indeed, time really has its own way of extracting life out of me. And yes, that included turning my back from things I thought I knew all too well. So I attempted to leave the Collegian thrice, but I never quite succeeded, obviously. At times, I tried to leave Room 401 desperately, like how Gloria Arroyo would attempt to flee the country and seek medical treatment overseas for a flu not a pill can cure. I always had my reservations another close friends birthday celebration missed, an org activity I simply cannot attend, family occasions I conveniently skipped, my bland style of writing, my grades I amusingly liken to capitalisms inherent nature of inevitable decline, all the meals and

NEWSCAN

Time really has its own way of extracting life out of me. And yes, that included turning my back from things I thought I knew all too well

sleep skipped just to beat (though quite unsuccessfully) deadlinesall the hardships that only a Collegian staffer could think. But Im not invoking self-pity. I know, and I just do, that I dont belong to this kind of lifestyle. In the proper scheme of things, I should not be here. And no one would believe me, not even Collegian. In fact, I have so far convinced only two persons in this bid. For all three years of frustrated escape, I believe I have grown immune to all sorts of classic arguments my editors would throw at people who sought hiatus from the publication. I think Ive heard most of them, and consequently developed my own arguments. But theres always this single one I just cant overcome Para kanino? Then Ill simply return to myself, defeated once again, and would begin my legwork for my assigned article as I patiently wait until my next attempt.

A forum on secured social networking

UP Diliman Gender Office in partnership with UP Diliman Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment, Foundation for Media Alternatives, College of Engineering, College of Mass Communication, and Gabriela Youth would like to invite you to A forum on secured social networking on Friday, November 25. 1pm 5pm. College of Engineering Theatre. Snacks will be served. For inquiries, text 09058777636 or 09261494262.

Happy birthday, Jesus!

This December, come and take part in a special celebration for the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ - a Christmas festivity with theatre act, dance, Christmas carols, and lights for Christ. Join us on December 10, 2011 in Engineering Theatre (3rd Floor Melchor Hall) from 6:30-8:30 PM. Tickets at P60 each. Contact 09175905912 or 4260386 for more details.

MARITES REYES

Love photography? Join UP OPTICS!

Break-up blues
Korni na o baduy pero gusto ko lang sabihing hindi naman masamang mang-iwan kung mas makabubuti ito para sa inyong dalawa. Sabi nga ni Derek Ramsey sa pelikulang Once More Chance, its better for two people to break up so they can grow up. Hindi madaling tapusin ang halos dalawat kalahating taon nating pagsasama. Nami-miss ko na nga ang madalas nating pagtambay sa Sunken matapos mag-ikot sa buong UP. Tuwing napadadaan ako sa Shopping Center, naaalala ko ang pagkain natin ng tindang siomai malapit sa Lutong Bahay. Dati, halos araw-araw mo akong sinusundo sa ikaapat na palapag ng Vinzons. Pero dumating ang panahong umaabot nang isang buwan bago mo ako dalawin rito, kahit na napakalapit ng bahay mo sa kampus. Minsan iniisip ko kung makasarili ba ang ginawa ko. Pero hindi bat kailangan rin nating magdesisyon para sa ating mga sarili kung tayo ba talaga hanggang sa huli. Paano kung hindi pala talaga tayo ang para sa isat isa? For the record, wala akong iba, hindi gaya mo. Sabi mo ako lang ang love mo. Naniwala at nagtiwala ako sa yo. Inalagaan kita pero hindi mo halos ipinaramdam na mahalaga rin ako sa yo. Para na nga akong nanay, at ikaw ang suwail kong anak. Minsan, iniisip ko kung nagkulang ba ako. O baka naman sumobra? Sa loob ng mahabang panahon, nakasentro sa iyo ang buhay ko, pero unti-unti mong binalewala ang pagpapahalaga ko sa yo. Dumating ang puntong makailang ulit ka nang nagsisinungaling sa kin. Kahit sobrang close natin, ayaw mo nang sabihin ang lahat dahil gusto mo na ng privacy. Ako man, kinailangang magtago sa yo ng mga bagay para lang hindi ka magalit. Napadalas ang mga away natin na parang hindi na natin kilala pati ang ating mga sarili. Nakailang wrong sent na text messages ang natanggap ko mula sa yo, na nagpapatunay sa matagal ko nang mga hinala, pero binalewala ko lang ang lahat. Nalaman ko pa noon na makikipagkita ka sa ex mo; nagpaalam ka nga at alam mong magagalit ako, pero ang insensitive mo lang dahil tinuloy mo pa rin ang pagkikita ninyo. Napuno ako. Naisip ko na hindi na lang kaya tayo maghiwalay kung untiunti naman nating nararamdaman na hindi na tayo masaya sa isat isa. Nakiusap ka sa akin; humingi ka ng

Parang hindi na natin kilala pati ang ating mga sarili

pagkakataon para maitama ang mali at maisaayos ang lahathumiling ka ng isa pang pagkakataon para bumalik tayo sa dati. Ngunit buo na ang desisyon ko. Sabi nga ni Basha, kailangan ko to, kailangan mo rin. Subukan mong tanungin ang sarili mo kung ano ba ako sa yo. Isa lang ba akong reserba in case mawalan ka ng babae sa hinaharap? O katulong lang ba ako sa lahat ng mga bagay na kailangan mo? Kaya ngayon, iniisip ko na lang na bakit ko naman sasayangin ang ganda kong to sa isang tulad mo? Marami namang naghihintay diyan para sa akin; pwede ko naman ilaan ang aking puso sa mas karapatdapat kaysa iyo.

The UP Photography Society (UP OPTICS) is a duly recognized university-wide organization of the University of the Philippines Diliman, committed to the promotion of photography as an art and the establishment of training grounds for the continuous development of its members skills. Established nine years ago, it continues to be the leading photography organization in the University. Photography enthusiasts are welcome to join the UP OPTICS Applicants Orientation on November 28! Venue, Time and Date: UP Grandstand, 9am-12nn and 1pm4pm, November 28, 2011. For more info, text Pao (09156744937) or Danica (09327050308).

Hi ACLE Orgs!

The ACLE Orientation/1st GA will be on Wednesday, 23-Nov-2011, 4pm at the Alcantara Hall, Vinzons Hall (beside the USC Office). And also, 1 required event and 1 alternative event will take place tomorrow. Kindly check the UPD ACLE 2011 Facebook Page for specific details. You need to send 3-4 representatives for the event to be credited. Thanks! Get free publicity! Send us your press releases, invitations, etc. Please be concise with your announcements. DONT TYPE IN ALL CAPS and, go easy on... the punctuation! ? 100 words maximum. We only accept announcements via email.

11 Kul Opinyon

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

INBOX

TEXTBACK

EKSENANG PEYUPS

Remembering November

Tomorrow, we will once again commemorate the anniversary of what has been dubbed as the single deadliest attack on journalists in recent history. The Maguindanao Massacre took the lives of 58 people, 32 of whom were journalists who accompanied the Mangudadatus in filing the gubernatorial certificate of candidacy of Esmael Mangudadatu. It comes as no surprise that such blatant acts against free expression send a chilling-effect to the media. In a system where the ruling elite control political affairs, journalists find their freedom suppressed when they attempt to tackle controversial issues concerning the most powerful personalities in the country. To counter brave and hard-hitting reportage of journalists, the ruling class has perpetuated a climate of impunity; powerful families kill journalists to stop them from revealing the truth. The Maguindanao Massacre has served as a venue for journalists to find a common cause amid an unjust system. As an organization upholding a promasses, pro-student stance on issues, the Union of Journalists of the Philippines UP (UJP-UP) demand that immediate justice be given to the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre. We reiterate our stance to uphold the right of the families of the victims to a speedy trial and resolution of the case. We believe that press freedomthe right to the reportage of the truth, and the right to be critical of our public officialsmust be protected. There is no time for silence and neutrality. STOP THE KILLINGS! END IMPUNITY! JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE! Join us as we commemorate the International Day to End Impunity on November 23, Wednesday. 1pm - Short program at the UP College of Mass Communication 2:30pm - March around Academic Oval 3pm - Head to Mendiola 4pm - Program and Torch Parade UJP-UP

Payag ka bang palabasin ng bansa si Gloria Arroyo? Bakit o bakit hindi?

Former president Gloria Arroyo has not been convicted of any crime. She still retains the right to free movement. 201140547 Dapat hindi kasi tatakas siya sa mga kasalanan nya 2011-10950 Hindi ako payag lumabas si arroyo. Kung lalabas ng bansa yan, malamang sa hindi magtago na yan at di na bumalik dahil alam nyang magkakalecheleche siya dito sa Pinas. 2011-11765 freshie bs-hrim Hindi dapat lumabas ng bansa si Gloria Arroyo dahil bagaman wala pang kasong nakasampa laban sa kanya, hindi pa niya tapos panagutan ang mga iskandalo niya at ito ay isa lamang ang pag-aabroad sa mga taktika niya upang makatakas. Ang galing ng mga abogado niya 2010-24127 BSGE Hindi ako payag na palabasin nila si Gloria sa bansa. Minsan lang tayo nagkatransformers, paalisin nyo pa ba? :] 11-27985 BSMath Pra s akin d dpat pygan n plbasin ng bansa c Gloria Arroyo. According s nbsa kong article about the issue, my mga d0kt0r s Pilipinas n kilala at bihasa s paggam0t sa krmdman nya, so hnd n nya kailangan pang umalis ng bansa. 2011-11783 Kung totoo ngang sa ibang bansa lang available yung medications na kailangan ni PGMA, okay lang na magpagamot siya doon. Ayoko pa siyang mamatay. Death is such an easy escape. 2010-05114 Psycho Oo ba! Basta sa Iraq siya pupunta. 2004-03120 feeling ko dapat syang palabasin ng bansa for spinal treatmenta and for spinal treatment only. Kahit na evil sya, tao din yan - may feelings. 201162071 Oo, di dahil sa gusto ko pero dahil sa iyon ahg tingin ng korte suprema na tama. Respeto lng sa KATAAS TAASANG hukuman DOJ. 2011-41190 hindi, hindi, hindi. bakit pa niya kailangan umalis ng bansa para magpagamot? marami namang doktor at albularyo sa Naspi ah. hindi ako naniniwala napagpapagamot lang ang pakay niya sa ibang bansa, nais niyang tumakas sa lahat ng kasalanan niya sa Pilipinas. ang pinili pa niyang mga bansang pagpapagamutan ay iyong mga bansang walang extradition at extraterritorial power ang Pilipinas. malinaw na iba ang tunay niyang pakay. ONCE A CORRUPT, ALWAYS ACORRUPT :) 201126136 BA AG PUL :) hindi dapat palabasin si gma .may atraso pa siya sa bansa.baka mamaya tatakas lang sya:D 2011-12331 Di ako payag palabasin ng bansa si

Arroyo. Kung gusto nya talaga gumaling, kahit saan basta may doktor at equipment papayag sya. Kung malala ka na, di mo na gugustuhin magbyahe, pramis! 0319906 OO, papayag ako, dahil may karapatan sya, at muka namang nagbabayad na sya ng kasalanan dahil sa kanyang kalagayan, makalabas man sya ng bansa wala namang kasiguraduhan na malulunasan agad agad ang kayang sakit. 2010-01762 HINDEEEE! HINDI SIYA MAAARING LUMABAS NG PILIPINAS NG BUHAY! GO DE LIMA! GO GO DE LIMA GO! Ebrebadeh dance! 2007-11054

Anong tingin mo sa pagkapanalo ni Manny Pacquiao laban kay Juan Manuel Marquez?

Bitin. Dapat di na hinayaang maging by decision yung laban. Sana ay tinuloy hanggang may ma-KO para manahimik na si Marquez. 2007-42631 Technically, nanalo si pacquiao. Visually, si marquez ang nanalo. 2011-10950 Sa palagay ko di naman luto. Sobrang close fight lang kasi at sanay kasi tayo sa taob kaya nakakapanibago. 2011-02451 Sa aking opinyon, si Manny Pacquiao talaga ang nararapat na manalo, kasi dedicated siya sa pagkapanalo. Hindi lang niya ito gnagwa para sa kanyang sarili o ang kanyang pamilya, ginagawa niya ito para magbigay ng karangalan sa bansang pilipinas. Kaya lagi siyang binibiyayaan ng pagkapanalo, kahit sinu man ang kanyang kalaban. WOHOO! PROUD 2 BE PINOY xD 2010-00140 2nd Year B.S. Industrial Engineering nkakatamad pero walang luto. partida nanalo pa c manny kh8 nccra footwork nya,tinatapakan ni marquez eh..hello kay jovel canlas at kay joana! uten_15521 2nd yr. geodengg Tama lang yun, kahit nkakabitin ang style ni pacman, kahit daig pa ng pinaasang suitor na binreak ang puso ang sinapit ni Marquez, c Manny pa dn tlga, FTW... X) 201121485 Freshmen BS ECE Wag tayo magmagaling, pinapahina lng natin ang loob ni pacman, mga pinoy nga naman oh. 2011-41190 .okay naman yung pacquiaomarquez3. Si pcman talaga panalo .Masyadong lang kcng mataas expectations kay pacman.. ang inaasahan ng tao knockout..kaya ganun nlang makareact ang iba=p 2011-12331

lang ng articke. Inistatus ko agad sa fb!! Hahaha 08-78869 maskom. kim dimal <3 Wagas ang paano ka ba magiging akin? ni ninalyn uy! Sana mabasa niya at sana lumevel up na yang love story na yan na parang movie lang ni vice ganda: pak na pak! Sana may sequel pag kau na! 07-39423 bsSkimper re: the gift of death. Delfin mercado, I just became a fan. Well written and very touching 01-20594 MBA Cool ng komiks! First time kong natawa ng todo-todo. He He! Good job, kule! 11-36972 dun sa photo na WALANG PAUMANHIN, November 14 sya naganap. Hindi september. Salamat. :) 1o-49979 Love love love <3 ko yung article na Paano ka ba magiging akin? meron pa din palang ganitong story sa loob ng UP. Sana puntahan ka nung guy @ sana madagdagan pa yung ganitong article dahil maraming nakakarelate.Mag-aabang ako nextweek. :) 10-01762 bs tour Siya nga pala, napakaganda ng pitak na sucker punch (pareho kami ng silakbo ng isip ni elizabeth shie) ah at they, too, deserve justice. kudos kule! isang mapagpalayang second sem sa mga staffs ng kule lalo na kay shie(ikaw ang hinihintay na bagong writer ng kule)! ipagpatuloy ang magandang simula ng second sem issues :) 201126136 BA AG PUL :) coment lng, gux2 ko ng mamatay! ang lupet ni kuya delfin! kung cnu man xa.tpos bat ung pic ng rali xa page 3, like.centered is the stunning legs of ate unkn0wn. like! 1015521 2ndGE Ay hello po, may katanungan lang po, bkit ang laki po ata ng printing at photocopy ng usc? Mas malaki pa sa food nla xD -2011 28841

Ze three mystereys edishun!

Next weeks questions

1. Anong masasabi mo sa mabagal na pag-usad ng hustisya para sa mga biktima ng Maguindanao Massacre? 2. Kung dadalawin mo si GMA, anong dadalhin mo para sak anya? Send in your opinions and feedback via SMS! Type KULE <space> MESSAGE <space> STUDENT NUMBER (required) YEAR AND COURSE (optional) and send to:

Comments

Mataas na pagpupugay kay ninalyn uy sa kanyang article na paano ka ba magiging akin. Puchat! For sure katulad ko, napakadaming nakarelate na asyumera. Sagad sa buto, unang linya pa

09175312630

Oh migod, like seriously? Its like one month na lang before done na ang first half ng sem. Excited! I cant make pigil my excitement na sa baby boys who will run with their patoytoys (*gasp* Im so bastos) for public consumption. But thats sooow tagal pa, and marami pang pwedeng mangyari, here in our universitey that is full of misterey! (effort ng rhyme, keri). So you better watch out, and you better not cry, you better not pout, coz Im telling you whyyyyyy! Mysterey #1 Like theres this one tigang tanghali inside the hideout of mga Kulutera. When they were sharing their dirtiest kuwento with isat isa, biglang nag-open ang door from Mount Olympus to reveal the highest ranking beauty sa balat ng whole university (laaaaaa! <angels chorale>). Its like so scary! Like its so nakakahiya lang for him to see the offices glorious mystery altar ni yummy Coco-loco, graffiti ng mga birdie, and other images for the Kuluteras to make abot the climax! Eh why ba naman kasi hindi magpasabi so hindi kami mahuli? Mysterey #2 From the ivory tower, lets make lipad naman down there sa isang center of inutile powers. Siyempre we still have our bonggang bonggang correspondent thats always on-thego kahit medyo, uhm, mukhang yagit. Eto naman kasing Kulutera eh, hes like so ambisyoso to make salita to another high ranking beauty while not far ang gayak sa isang pureza mae saison. Tuloy, denied na nga ang access sa heavenly gate, they treated him pa like an angry ape. Pababain mo, pababain mo yan, the Kulutera heard from up above. Its like wafaz! Mysterey #3 So like nung Friday, I was making sakay the jeep of Manong na bound for Katipunan and it was like so sikip. When nag-pass na the jeep sa faculty center, may girl who was like making para. Eh hello, its so full na kaya so hindi na nag-stop in the name of love si Manong. Pero si girl, nag-shout bigla ng very loud na MANONG, PLEASE!! WHAT THE FUCK!! And I was like this: @.@ The pasaheros were all making tawa dahil the girl was so like duh. I have many kuwento pa pero ubos na kasi the space eh. Ill make alis na! Byerz!

Kul The Back Page

Part One: Budget Preparation Step 1: Budget Call (December -April)
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issues the National Budget Call which contains the guidelines, limits and standards in preparing the national budget, taking into consideration macroeconomic parameters like inflation rate, population and gross national product growth. These will serve as guide for agencies in preparing their budget proposals. Peoples Participation: Attend various budget fora wherein the budget parameters are explained. After the issuance of the budget call, the people can craft and submit alternative budget proposals to their agencies for inclusion. In UP, students, faculty and staff can submit their proposed budgetary allocation to the administration, instead of leaving the drafting of the budget proposal to UP officials.

Martes 22 Nobyembre 2011

Step 2: Crafting the Presidents Budget (April-July)

Once agencies finish submitting their proposed budget to DBM, the said department will then conduct Technical Budget Hearings to review the proposals. The results of the review are consolidated into the document called the National Expenditure Program (NEP), which contains the details of the DBM-approved allocation for each agency. Usually, DBM approves only a small percentage of the original agency proposals, citing the inadequacy of funds. The NEP or the presidents budget is submitted to Congress for legislation after the State of the Nation Address in July. Peoples Participation: While DBM is still finalizing the NEP, submit alternative budget proposals that reflect the immediate needs of the people. Lobby for the decrease in allocation for debt servicing or even call for debt cancellation. As the amount allocated for each department is not yet finalized, revisions can still be made.

Part Two: Legislation Step 1: Subcommittee Hearings (July-October)

The budget deliberations in the House of Representatives begin in the Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees. In these hearings, sectoral representatives are invited to scrutinize the DBM-approved budget for their particular agencies. After the consultations, initial amendments are included in drafting the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which will be introduced in the plenary for first reading. Peoples Participation: Attend the subcommittee hearings and ensure that lawmakers take note of initial concerns in the NEP before it is adapted into the GAB. Concerns such as debilitating cuts and questionable increases in budget allocation should be pointed out before the Lower House finalizes the draft GAB.

Part Three: Execution and Accountability (January-December)

Once the national budget is signed into law, DBM will be in charge of disbursing funds and implementing programs and projects contained in the GAA. Peoples Participation: Remain vigilant all year round. Watch out for potential fund mishandling and corruption activities. Report anomalies to Commission on Audit and Sandiganbayan for prosecution.

Crack the code

Unlocking the peoples potential to participate in the budget process
By Axl Ross Tumanut

Step 2: Second and Third Readings (October-November)

In the GABs second reading, lawmakers propose amendments in the budget proposal, mainly in the form of realignments. No increases can be made in the total national budget, but transfer of funds from one agency to another can be proposed. Once the proposals are approved and incorporated in the GAB, the Lower House will then vote and pass the appropriations bill on the third and final reading. Peoples Participation: Lobby for realignments in the proposed budget, and call for the slashing of questionable allocations and transferring the said funds to agencies that lack funding. To add pressure to solons, participate in demonstrations that call for budget amendments.
Active involvement in the budget deliberations ensures that the peoples interests are considered. However, with the government controlling the bulk of the budget preparation, little room is left for democratic citizens participation. A closer scrutiny on the annual budget cycle reveals that the people can contribute and join in the preparation and enactment of a budget that best represents its interests.
Artwork by Marianne Rios Page design by EJ Tagaro

Step 5: Presidents Veto and Enactment of GAA (December)

The bicam submits its consolidated version of the GAB to the President for approval. Once signed into law, it becomes the General Appropriations Act. The president can, however, veto some items in the GAA which DBM considers to be contradicting with the budget parameters set by the DBCC. Peoples Participation: Through lobbying and mobilizations, urge the president to veto items that are detrimental to the peoples interests. If essential provisions and amendments in the GAA are vetoed by the president, lobby in Congress to override the veto with a two-thirds vote in favor of GAB.

Step 3: Senate Deliberations (November-December)

Once the GAB is passed in the Lower House, it will then be transmitted to the Senate where it undergoes the same legislative process followed in the Lower House. Amendments to the GAB can be submitted and incorporated until the second reading. Once all revisions are done, the bill is presented to the Senate plenary for the third and final reading. Peoples Participation: Efforts undertaken in the Congress deliberations may also be applied in this step. Attend the Senate deliberations and intensify public clamour for revisions and greater state subsidy in vital agencies.

Step 4: Bicameral Conference (November-December)

Once the Lower House and the Senate approve their versions of the GAB, the two chambers of Congress will then need to combine their versions of the bill. This will be accomplished by representatives from the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee who make up the Bicameral Conference Committee (bicam). Peoples Participation: The bicam wields vast powers in amending the consolidated appropriations bill, as members of this joint committee can insert additional provisions without needing approval from other members of Congress. Exert pressure on this group by heightening the peoples call for budget revisions and talking to individual bicam members.