A Call for Principled Politics

BLUE, YELLOW AND RED STANDARDS unfurl once more as the campaign for the University Student Council (USC) election heats up. Ideally of course, the USC election campaign should be an opportunity to raise the level of democratic discourse by focusing on platforms and principles.

Nonetheless, the past two weeks have seen new lows in electoral campaigning, whether inside or outside campus, including online and social networking venues. While other parties have been quick to profess their integrity, mudslinging has become the norm of electoral campaigns. Many supporters, who in many ways reflect the party they come from, have been so heartless in tearing others down.

ALYANSA is deeply concerned, hurt and disappointed that it has to come to this. We have long realized that students are sick and tired of this endless bickering among their student leaders. This lack of integrity and dignity in conducting campaigns does not help students in any way. Indeed, if we are to open our institutions to greater participation from students, parties must first bring back civility in student politics.

As ALYANSA has always called on its counterparts to practice principled politics, it also appeals to the best in UP students. We call on students to reject the politics of poison and affirm decency. We pray that students choose their candidates, not on their fears and apprehensions, but on the basis of their hopes and aspirations. The USC is a historic institution that has represented the best of the University. The least we can do is to offer the best of ourselves in an election campaign, for students who look up to us deserve nothing less.

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What is your stand regarding the leadership crisis in the University Student Council?

ALYANSA believes that being a student leader is commendable, as one who chooses a life of service to his fellow students often sacrifice for their good. In seeking student empowerment, which is one of our core principles, student leaders sacrifice their time, effort and even money in order to pursue causes that are bigger than themselves. For those reasons, we thank our student leaders, regardless of their political affiliation or color, because they heeded the call to serve.

Nonetheless, being a student leader also means having to set a higher bar for oneself, in order to cope up with the demands of being a STUDENT, and being a LEADER. None has to be sacrificed, if one is to be up to the task of being a student leader. Hence, if a student leader manages to sacrifice his academics, to the point of academic delinquency, he does a disservice, to the students that he serves, and the nation that provides for his education.

Let us be clear that this issue regarding the leadership crisis in the University Student Council is NOT PERSONAL. It is an issue of principles, of holding oneself accountable. If the University Student Council is still bent on upholding the USC Chairperson's tenure, in spite of clear rules mandating that he relinquish his post, they are squandering their integrity and moral ascendancy. True enough, some colleges have already expressed their position for the USC Chairperson to resign, else they will not recognize the Council as a truly representative body.

We reiterate our call for our USC Chairperson to uphold honor and excellence. We call on him to muster his courage, do the right thing, and resign from his post. To do nothing less is not a shame, but a badge of integrity.

What has ALYANSA done regarding the UP budget cuts?

Caption: This reply by Rep. Maricar Zamora is one of the letters we have received supporting our call to oppose the budget cuts to UP and other State Colleges and Universities.

ALYANSA has always stood for accessible, quality and relevant education. As such, with the current state of our tertiary education sector, budget cuts to UP and other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) do serious harm to the effort of providing such education. We recognize that opposing budget cuts, in solidarity with other groups and sectors of the UP community, as well as the whole tertiary education sector, is the way to ensure accessible, quality and relevant education.

As a formation, ALYANSA has encouraged its members to attend the student strike last month, as a way of recognizing that this issue transcends political affiliations and party lines. More importantly, as a concrete way of addressing this issue, ALYANSA, led by its Vice-Chairperson for Student Rights and Welfare (VC STRAW) Will Del Rosario, has trooped to the House of Representatives and the Senate to lobby and present its position against the budget cuts. With its actions, ALYANSA demonstrated its principle of progressive multi-perspective activism, one that is willing to work beyond political affiliations and party lines, and recognize other forms of participating in issues.

What can you say about this year's University Student Council election results?

As a formation, ALYANSA and its local college counterparts participate in Student Council elections as a manifestation of its commitment to student empowerment. We have always believed that a Student Council is a very important venue to lead students towards a holistic brand of leadership --- a Student Council with campaigns on issues, activities that animate involvement, and services that are relevant to students' welfare.

ALYANSA's victories are not just its own, but these are victories that belong to the students. From the many colleges that make up the University, ALYANSA's call of "Kasama Ka" resonated loud and clear. Students elected a dozen ALYANSA leaders to the University Student Council. The College of Engineering followed by electing ARISE to a rousing victory, by clinching the positions of ESC Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The College of Architecture selected Blueprint to lead the next Architecture Student Council. Of course, the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy handed BUKLOD CSSP its eighteenth straight year of leadership. In other colleges, from Science, Business Administration, Law and Economics, among many others, ALYANSA stalwarts clinched numerous positions in their respective local councils.

Nonetheless, we believe that winning elections is only the first step towards change. ALYANSA is committed to show that its call "Kasama Ka", and the promise of inclusion, becomes a reality. We are committed to work hard, work across party lines, work amidst difficulties, in order to deserve the mandate UP students have given the formation.

What do you think about endorsements given by individuals and groups to parties during elections?

We consider elections as good opportunities to define our platforms, as well as demonstrate our brand of leadership. Consistent with our principles, we engage in the elections as a venue for greater student empowerment. Of course, given the nature of elections, we also recognize the reality that parties also compete in informing the general public, hoping to attract the broadest support from students.

Therefore, as part of this annual democratic exercise, ALYANSA welcomes like-minded individuals and groups who support the formation. Nonetheless, consistent with its pillars, as well as its progressive, multi-perspective character, ALYANSA conditionally recognizes endorsements as long as it does not compromise the integrity of the formation. We welcome endorsements from individuals and groups with established credibility, and who can account for their actions to the public. We also reserve our judgment to turn down some of these endorsements, in certain instances, when it compromises our formation's integrity.

This is ALYANSA's way of ensuring that this democratic exercise remains credible, as we strive to maintain our integrity to the public. We always lay down our credibility on the line every time we conduct ourselves to the public, and it is our commitment to maintain this credibility as we engage in the USC elections.

ALYANSA is said to be defending the CSSPSC in their issue regarding the Student Regent issue. Could you clear this up?

Straight up, stating that the CSSPSC is "our CSSPSC" does not mean ownership, or implying that the entire Council is affiliated with ALYANSA. We just wanted to say that the Council is OUR Council, everyone's Council, regardless of which affiliation its members belong to. If this has caused some confusion, we apologize. We all don't want to get caught in wordplay that muddles real debate. 

With that settled, we go back to the CSSPSC's issue. Once more, we reiterate our major points that we raised in our previous comment:

1. The entire CSSPSC is NOT affiliated with ALYANSA.
2. Members affiliated with Buklod CSSP (an ALYANSA affiliate), who are incumbents in the CSSPSC, did get elected into office carrying their principles. Among these principles are the commitment to reform the CRSRS. This commitment was translated into action by pushing for amendments in order to improve the current CRSRS;
3. These amendments were pushed by the Council officers concerned through informal consultations, considering the logistical difficulties at the moment the decision was made.

While the current Council members involved did admit shortcomings in launching full-blown consultations regarding this issue, it does not depart from the fact that they submitted themselves to the process of the protest, and the ensuing hearing, no matter how painful it is. It can be said that they acted in accordance to their principles; now, as these principles were called into question, they became accountable as student leaders.

We reflect at this point. These same student leaders, who acted in accordance to their principles, are now being criticized for their action. Nonetheless, the student leaders who chose not to attend the General Assembly, and would protest through their own partisan groups, are now being rewarded for their inaction.

Add to this the conduct in which the petition that circulated in the College was made. While we agree that it is totally condescending to allege that everyone who signed the petition was misinformed, the truth that a number of students were misled into signing it puts the entire effort in bad faith.

That is the rationale behind ALYANSA's clarification regarding the role of the CSSPSC officers concerned in the CRSRS issue. We are just defending the members of the CSSPSC who acted in accordance with their principles. Once more, we thank the concerned individuals and groups who wanted our clarification. 

Some are asking about ALYANSA's advocacy to include a Staff Regent in its UP Charter campaign. Could you clarify this?

Once more, ALYANSA thanks the individuals who want to clarify the issue of our participation in the UP Charter campaign. The interest generated by this matter proves our commitment to keep our elections at the level of issues. 

To answer the question, let us go back to ALYANSA's commitment to revise the UP Charter. Back in 2003, ALYANSA was the only formation to have taken a definite stand to revise the UP Charter proposals. While we did not see eye to eye with the UP Administration (who wanted to pass the pending bills at the Senate then), and some student groups (who wanted to junk it entirely), ALYANSA took the approach of pushing for progressive provisions by revising the proposed bills.

One such provision is the inclusion of a Staff Regent, consistent with our principle of genuine sectoral representation in our highest policy-making body. With other progressive provisions, ALYANSA pushed for their passage by supporting a counterproposal pushed by its USC leadership back in 2004. The formation, as well as the USC, participated in Technical Working Groups organized for the purpose of passing a new UP Charter bill. Until its signing to law in 2008, ALYANSA was the only formation who participated in the painstaking process of passing the UP Charter, by issuing a definite stand on the matter, as well as initiating efforts to lobby for the passage of its progressive provisions.

In the end, we could say that this is progressive multi-perspective activism at work. Even as we don't necessarily agree with our counterparts, we engage them in substantive debate. Even as we encounter the imperfections of our institutions, we do not just complain --- instead, we forward progressive and reasonable alternatives.