Principled disagreement and anonymous black propaganda: A challenge

Over the past few days, I have been receiving reports of anonymous efforts to bring down Alex Castro in the race for USC Chair. As a fellow candidate and in behalf of UP ALYANSA, I wish to voice my strongest condemnation against these malicious attempts.

The campaign is a time not just to show off each candidate's and each political party's strengths and victories, but also a time to educate and to engage in a healthy, passionate, and principled discourse.

In the earlier part of this week, members of ALYANSA made a principled disagreement with Alex Castro's citation of wrong information on the sin tax law. Rooted in our advocacy to make this campaign more about platforms and less about personalities, we demanded an apology from Alex Castro and a retraction of the misinformation that the 15% allocation for tobacco farmers has been stricken off the sin tax law. To this day, we have not received any apology or retraction; so, our principled disagreement and demand continue.

But when a supposed screenshot of an alleged chat conversation between Alex and a "friend" cropped up, I was personally disappointed. Today, a perverted statement entitled "Sex Will Fix" was released in different areas in campus.

These are exactly what ALYANSA has been campaigning against. While we make sure to maintain our principled disagreement with Alex Castro and KAISA on the level of issues and platforms, efforts like these serve as roadblocks to our dream of an informed student body.

The anonymity of these efforts reveals exactly their purpose: Nothing more than to regress to personality politics and blur this campaign into becoming a pageant of reputations rather than clear platforms. I personally challenge the people behind these efforts to come into the open and make a principled choice to inform, rather than to maliciously attack. I challenge the people behind these to reveal their identities and the USC Chair candidate they support, if any, so the students may decide for themselves what to make of the propaganda.

As student leaders, it is our duty to inform and shape the debates in campus to become a discourse of principles, integrity, ideology, and platforms. This campaign is not about me; it is not about Alex Castro's alleged chat messages or motives. This campaign is about the students and their right to make an informed choice on their next University Student Council.

Carlo Brolagda
ALYANSA USC Chairperson candidate
February 20, 2013

Abusing the Right to Free Speech: A Response to the Death Threats Directed to USC Chair Heart Diño

UP ALYANSA strongly condemns the death threats directed to USC Chairperson Heart Diño.

Heart Diño, being the Chairperson of the University Student Council, is a public figure to the student body. She has the right to act and voice her opinions in her personal capacity, yet her actions will always be subjected to public scrutiny. Recently, her actions and opinions have received such criticisms and contentions. We respect this circumstance but for several cases it has gone too far: certain people have threatened to hurt or even kill her. These cases exceed what is warranted as free speech or opinionated criticism. These threats of violence must not be tolerated.

The first few death threats came immediately after Heart’s election as USC Chair. Although these threats were made online, they must not be taken lightly. For one, a certain Rey Refran is calling for others to participate in her assassination. The violent tone is evident as he threatened to “plant a bullet in her” and even offered to personally “be the hitman”. Aside from these, several comments also attack Heart on the aspect of her gender, referring to her derogatorily. Such violent and despicable statements cannot be accepted. Although we exercise the right to free speech, this right must be exercised responsibly; criticism can be reasonably presented without violence or prejudice towards any person's gender, race, beliefs, etc.

As Iskolars para sa Bayan, we cannot condone such threats of violence. We must be careful to ensure that the criticisms we present are sensible and sensitive, not promoting violence or hate.

On the "zero fraternities in UP" news report: A clarificatory statement from UP ALYANSA

In the nightly newscast "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho," a GMA News reporter said that one of the platforms of ALYANSA in the upcoming University Student Council is, to quote, "zero fraternities in the University of the Philippines." ALYANSA did not make any such statement, and would like to reiterate that while it is for "zero tolerance on fraternity-related violence," the formation is not pushing for the elimination of fraternities inside the university.

For the information of everyone.

GASC 2011: On the Alleged Online Campaign to 'UNSEAT THE SR'

December 21, 2011, 12:20PM: ALYANSA Chairperson Tin Borja received text messages from council members in the General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) clarifying if ALYANSA is indeed moving for the "Unseating of the Student Regent". This is due to the announcement made by the Student Regent in the GASC where ALYANSA is alleged to have started an online campaign to UNSEAT THE SR.

As of 12:40PM, ALYANSA Chairperson, in a phone conversation with the Student Regent clarified that the no such move is being done by the formation. The SR has announced the same to the body.

As the formation is directly implicated, we strongly condemn these false accusations against the formation that we are for the unseating of the Student Regent. We are disgusted that any group can sink this low to spread such lowly rumors against the formation.

ALYANSA believes in safeguarding our democratic right to representation in the University's policy-making bodies and other avenues. Hand in hand with this is securing transparency and accountability in all levels of student government in pursuit of student empowerment. With this, we remain steadfast in our commitment to work towards strengthening student institutions through principled methods of engagement and never through counterproductive means.

We call upon all the students to remain vigilant and critical with the flood of false rumors being propagated. Albeit divides and differences in debates, ALYANSA will continue to engage the institution that is the OSR through legal, constitutional, and substantial means, as we have done so in the past.


Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa malinis at marangal na laban para sa pagpapatibay ng demokrasya sa Opisina ng Rehente ng mga Mag-aaral.

UP ALYANSA's clarificatory statement regarding a news article by Manila Standard Today

In light of the news article by Manila Standard Today entitled "UP students, faculty launch 3-day strike" where UP ALYANSA was reported to have led the budget mobilization which occurred last Wednesday (to quote: "The UP-Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran led the walk along the academic Oval area and marched on the 2.2-kilometer oval to demonstrate their unity against the cut in the school’s budget and the budgets of other state universities and colleges," italics added), we forward the following clarifications:

1. In our Press Release dated September 21, 2011, it was clearly stated that UP ALYANSA NEVER CLAIMED to have led the budget mobilization. We quote: “UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA), one of the participants in the university-wide strike, appeals to the government to increase the UP budget and invest more in education” (italics added). UP ALYANSA HOLDS NO CONTROL over the editing and writing of news articles in major print and TV media.

2. After being made aware of the said article, UP ALYANSA immediately contacted the writer of the said article requesting for an erratum for immediate publishing. We have attached a link of our Press Release distributed to all print and TV media, and another article published by Sun.Star Manila correctly reflecting what we forwarded.

3. UP ALYANSA believes that investing in our people via a higher education budget is a collective struggle that transcends our political colors or parochial concerns. It is a collective struggle that no single person, no single group, or no organization can merely lay claim to. It is a collective struggle that UP ALYANSA is in, together with the education sector, as we stake the claim for our future.

Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa pagkamit ng quality, relevant, at accesible education.
INCREASE THE UP BUDGET, INVEST IN EDUCATION.

LINK TO UP ALYANSA'S PRESS RELEASE, “Government should adopt '6%-of-GNP to education' standard in PH - UP protesters”: http://www.facebook.com/notes/up-alyansa/press-release-21-september-2011-government-should-adopt-6-of-gnp-to-education-st/10150394599370775

LINK TO THE MANILA STANDARD TODAY NEWS ARTICLE, "UP students, faculty launch 3-day strike": http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2011%2Fseptember%2F22%2Fnews5.isx&d=2011%2Fseptember%2F22

LINK TO THE SUN.STAR NEWS ARTICLE, “Government urged to allot 6% of GNP to education” - ALSO BASED FROM UP ALYANSA’S PRESS RELEASE: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2011/09/21/government-urged-allot-6-gnp-education-180624

No Lies, No Contradiction: ALYANSA on Anakbayan UPD's statement regarding CARPER

UP ALYANSA has always been with the marginalized, oppressed and powerless in pursuit of social justice and social progress. We therefore lament the latest statement of Anakbayan UP Diliman which attacks our article on agrarian reform in the July 2011 issue of the ALYANSA Newsletter. In their statement, Anakbayan UPD brands our position regarding the Hacienda Luisita farmers and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) law as 'anti-farmer'.

We condemn, for the nth time, the misinformation being disseminated by these people who pride themselves as 'true student leaders'. To quote from their statement:

"May we remind these pseudo-progressives, that the CARPER itself enabled the SC to decide in favor of a sham referendum. The fabled stock distribution option (SDO) in Chapter 1 Section 3.a of the former CARP Law was maintained in the CARPER version.

SECTION 3. Definitions. - For the purpose of this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise (a) Agrarian Reform means the redistribution of land… such as production or profit-sharing, labor administration, and the distribution of shares of stock…”

The Constitution explicitly stipulates and mandates that landless farmers and farmworkers should "OWN directly or collectively THE LANDS they till" (1987 Constitution: Article XII, Section 4; capitalization ours). In the belief that the stock distribution option (SDO) provision was a loophole inserted by the landlord bloc into the old CARP law (Republic Act 6657), CARPER authors and advocates made it a point to address the said provision in the new law (Republic Act 9700).

The stipulation of the implementation of the principle of “actual physical possession” when awarding land directly avoids non-distributives schemes like the Stock Distribution Option given that stocks are not considered actual physical possession. According to Section 9 of RA 9700 (effectively amending Section 24, ‘Award to Beneficiaries’ of RA 6657), “The rights and responsibilities of the beneficiaries shall commence from their receipt of a duly registered emancipation patent, or certificate of land ownership, and their actual physical possession of the awarded land." Section 10 of RA 9700 (effectively amending Section 25 of RA 6657) further provides that, “In general, the land awarded to a farmer beneficiary should be in the form of an individual title, covering one contiguous tract or several parcels of land cumulated up to a maximum of three (3) hectares.”

Furthermore, under the new law, only two modes of acquisition are recognized: Voluntary-Offer-to-Sell (VOS) and compulsory acquisition (Section 5) as affirmed by the recent SC decision (G.R. 171101) which states that, "It may be well to note at this juncture that Sec. 5 of RA 9700 amending Sec. 7 of RA 6657, has all but superseded Sec. 31 of RA 6657 vis-à-vis the stock distribution component of said Sec. 31. In its pertinent part, Sec. 5 of RA 9700 provides: '[T]hat after June 30, 2009, the modes of acquisition shall be limited to voluntary offer to sell and compulsory acquisition.' Thus, for all intents and purposes, the stock distribution scheme under Sec. 31 of RA 6657 is no longer an available option under existing law.”

Our position for CARPER implementation, therefore, is not contradictory but complementary with our call for the immediate distribution of lands in Hacienda Luisita. After twenty years of CARP marred with flaws, the CARPER law became in unison with our Constitution in saying that agrarian reform is essentially about giving away lands, not stocks.

In the end, UP ALYANSA agrees with their statement that land distribution has been painstakingly slow, and their pronouncement that politics of credit-seeking without concrete and effective action should be assailed. In light of this, we challenge Anakbayan UPD to join us in helping the farmers and the government in the efficient and effective implementation of the only existing law on agrarian reform, which is the CARPER law.

The Iskolars para sa Bayan have already thrown their support behind CARPER. Four years ago, we marched in UP Diliman with the Sumilao farmers who walked more than 1,000 kilometers from Bukidnon on foot to push for the recognition of their lands as agricultural lands and the enactment of CARPER. Three years ago, we marched to the House of Representatives with the Calatagan farmers of Batangas, also to forward the swift passage of CARPER. With only three years before CARPER reaches its expiration, it is high time for Anakbayan UPD and other student groups to be in solidarity with farmers, labor unions, non-government organizations and even the Church in fully realizing the potentials of CARPER, including the distribution of lands in Hacienda Luisita.


Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa pagkamit ng hustisyang pang-agraryo sa pamamagitan ng CARPER.

STFAP Under Protest!

We thought we were faced with a new endeavour, a new evil that spreads fear among our ranks. But, once again, we were wronged and were made fools as we believe the news that some groups claim to be true.

FACT: Last April 8, the UP Administration issued a memorandum declaring that they will use a "revised Socialized Tuition Fee Bracket B Certification for distribution to incoming freshmen students during the Registration Period for the First Semester AY 2011-2012". The additional requirements are: (1) Income Tax Return (ITR) for the last year or, a copy of the employment contract if parent(s) is/are Overseas Filipino Worker(s); and (2) Vicinity map of the family residence. The certification is also required to be notarized.

LIE: The default bracket for incoming freshman students during the Registration Period AY 2011-2012 is Bracket A (or P1,500/unit).

FACT: According to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA, UP System) and the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS, UP Diliman), the default bracket for STFAP remains at Bracket B (or P1,000/unit).

We condemn the groups within the University who are spreading fear among the students, in general, and the freshmen, in particular. We encourage our fellow and incoming Iskolars Para Sa Bayan to keep themselves informed and to not let themselves be a victim of misinformation.

But this does not keep us from pushing for a just, progressive, and socialized tuition policy. We condemn the already flawed Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program, and the manner by which this memorandum was issued. Again, the primary stakeholders of the University weren't consulted given the additional requirements to avail the base tuition, a clear violation of Students' Rights and Welfare.

As we have said since 2008, we have waited long enough for the UP Administration to rectify its severe errors. This period has long expired. Let us not stand idly as another year goes by when more and more deserving students are deprived of access to UP education.

Let us show everyone, especially the UP Administration, that our payment of tuition is not an expression of our conformity to their erroneous policies. Let us show that we have PAID UNDER PROTEST against policies that prejudice us and our fellow Iskolars Para Sa Bayan.

PUSH FOR A JUST, PROGRESSIVE, AND SOCIALIZED TUITION POLICY!


June 14, 2011