February 28, 2006 · Posted in: In the News, State of Emergency

UP Diliman Council challenges Proclamation 1017

THE University Council of the University of the Philippines in Diliman issued a statement this morning challenging Proclamation No. 1017 and calling for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to pave the way for a peaceful transition in leadership. The Council declared UP Diliman as "an open space for public debate," offering physical refuge to those who may be arrested by virtue of the presidential proclamation.

The Council is composed of associate professors, assistant professors, and full professors. A little over a thousand faculty members are qualified to sit in the Council.

The Council’s committee on National Policies and Programs drafted the resolution which was then submitted to the body for adoption. All Council members present in the meeting this morning unanimously voted to adopt the statement.

The Council likewise voted to adopt in full an earlier statement by the UP College of Law calling for the "immediate and unconditional rescission of Proclamation 1017 and General Order No. 5. On this motion, 197 voted Yes, 3 voted No, and 6 abstained.

Danilo Arao, vice chairman of the Council’s committee on national policies and programs, said there are members of the faculty who will walk out of their classes at 4:00 this afternoon "to articulate the points that we have made in our resolution."

The full text of the UP Diliman University Council’s statement:

Defend our civil liberties and fight for freedom! Oppose Proclamation No. 1017!
A university in a democracy draws its life from an environment of political freedom. None of its basic functions—the quest for truth, the encouragement of critical inquiry, the stimulation of the imagination—is possible in a climate of repression.
The University of the Philippines (UP) as the national university is the vanguard in upholding civil liberties and fighting for freedom. We affirm UP’s commitment to the fundamental constitutional and human rights of the people.
UPD remains an open space for public debate consistent with its treasured value of academic freedom;
UPD is a refuge for those who are subjected to physical arrests and other forms of harassment;
UPD challenges every move to clamp down on any of our basic freedoms;
UPD reiterates its call for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign; and
UPD supports a peaceful transition in political leadership.

34 Responses to UP Diliman Council challenges Proclamation 1017

jester-in-exile

February 28th, 2006 at 4:25 pm

though i laud they council, i must point out that their stand isn’t quite reflective of the general student populace. there already is too much indifference in the UPD studentry.

padre florentino asked in the noli where the youth, the hope of the nation, is. it’s sad that in the premiere state university the committed is a fraction and not a majority… else, we’d have larger crowds in protest.

benign0

February 28th, 2006 at 5:07 pm

Actually, the USC is infested by so much leftist elements that most of the UP student body dismiss them as nothing more than an irrelevant nuisance.

You should see them scrambling for campaign ears in the College of Engineering — the college with the largest student population in the campus — come election time.

Pathetic sight to say the least.

vonjobi

February 28th, 2006 at 5:49 pm

“physical arrests”? as opposed to metaphysical arrests?

but seriously, it must be noted that the statement is from the FACULTY council, not the STUDENT council.

ge-em-ei

February 28th, 2006 at 6:14 pm

most scientists and engineers has been measuring the distance of “light and the thunder in the sky” though it made us the generation of power… in which at the end of the day…they end-up an estimated absolute value…

pero sa mga pilosopong tulad ko…ang distansya ng kulog at kidlat ay tatlong pulgada lamang…kaya ang wastong katotohanan ay tatlong pulgada rin…ibig sabihin…hindi ito malayo, bagkus ito’y abot kamay lamang…

kung ang layunin ng konseho ay marating at makita ang katotohanan…gawin lamang nilang isang dangkal o tatlong pulgada ang distansiya ng katotohanan na gusto nilang ipabatid sa buong sambayanang pilipino na tulad ko din, huwag silang mag-dagdag o mag-bawas ng kwentuhan…at sila’y magtatagumpay…
Ang ibig kong sabihin, walang halong kasinungalingan basta puro katotohanan, kahit masakit pa sa kanilang mga minamahal…

Sapagkat ang kulog at kidlat, kaylanman ay hindi mag-sisinungaling…sapagkat tatlong pulgada lamang ang distansiya nila sa isa’t-isa…hindi pwedeng sa kaliwa ang isa, ang isa naman ay sa kanan…dahil ang sakop nila ay ang buong ka-buo-an…

Eto ang panghuli…pwede ba na mangyari na may narinig kang nagtatawanan at hagalpakan ng halakhak pero ang nakikita mo naman ay mga nagdadalamhati at luhaan?…marahil may diperensiya ang iyong pandinig…o dili kaya’y ika’y nag-bubulag bulagan…

kaya nga napaka-halaga ng iba’t-ibang uri ng media sa malayang pamantayan…sapagkat ang katotohanan ay atin madarama at matutunghayan kung walang piring at takip ang iyong mga mata’t tenga..yan ang tunay na kalayaan…naway pagpalain tayong lahat ng ating Amang nasa langit…

dimasalang

February 28th, 2006 at 6:33 pm

Benign0,

I think you are confusing the University Council with the University Student Council.

Anyway, do you have concrete evidence to back up your sweeping statement “that most of the UP student body dismiss them as nothing more than an irrelevant nuisance.”? Tanong ko lang, isko ka ba? Nasa diliman ka ba ngayon? Kung hindi, tumahimik ka na lang?

I don’t think you can derive any leftist leanings from the statement made by the University Council. So please, stop drawing conclusions out of thin air.

aragorn

February 28th, 2006 at 8:31 pm

benigno dapat palitan mo name mo into let say toting bunye, defensor, saludo or para mas maganda tiongco. pinapapangit mo yun pangalan benigno. lahat ng blog dito sa loob ng pcij nandito ka. halata tuloy eto trabaho mo.

hindi ako naniwala na ang pinoy kagaya mo!

MABUHAY ANG UP!

sa ganitong panahon mo makikita kung sino talaga ang titindig laban ke GLORIA, take note ke GLORIA hindi sa State.

kaya ang 1017 eh proclamation of STATE OF CONFUSION and EMERGENCY for GMA.

anti-gloria hindi anti-govt

si GLORIA ay hindi pangulo so she couldn’t call herself the state.

tayo ang estado!

penpenpen88

February 28th, 2006 at 9:19 pm

yup agree what naman kasi if leftist ang UP, rightist ang PMA, socialist si Beltran.. the point here we are citizens and were entitled to a voice.. =) eh kung yung di taga dito nagsasalita eh.. tayo pa kaya di pwede?? hmmm masyado naman tayong nagpapaapi sa mga dayuhang di natin malaman kung pinoy nga or hindi.. basta akin lang.. an dito tayo .. tayo ang naapektuhan.. tayo ang mas me karapatang magsalita… I sympathize with u UP.. you have an ally in UST..

ms. bayani

February 28th, 2006 at 9:23 pm

THANK YOU UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO CONTINUE TO GIVE US THE INSPIRATION AND THE LIGHT….

SOMEDAY….SOMEHOW….THE RULING CORRUPT TRADITIONAL POLITICIANS AND THEIR FAMILIES….THE OLIGARCHY… WILL BE HUMBLED AND DEFEATED OF THEIR MAJOR STRANGLEHOLD OF ALMOST EVERY FACET OF OUR DAILY LIVES….

….RIGHT NOW…THE PEOPLE ARE PERCEIVED TO BE TIRED, WEAK, DISILLUSIONED, DISGUSTED AND HOPELESS AT THEIR CONTINUING BARRAGE OF THIEVING, LYING, CHEATING AND BETRAYING….

…..BUT IN THE END….THE COMMON PEOPLE WILL TRIUMPH IN BRINGING ABOUT THE KIND OF SOCIETY THEY DESERVE TO HAVE….BECAUSE THE FILIPINOS ARE INHERENTLY INTELLIGENT, TALENTED, GOOD AND PERSEVERING…..BECAUSE THE FORCES OF GOOD ALWAYS TRIUMPH IN THE END…BECAUSE THAT IS THE UNIVERSAL DICTUM AND THE REASON FOR BEING.

…..EVIL CAN ONLY FLOURISH AS MUCH….AND PEOPLE CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH OF IT….UNTIL FINALLY, THE VICTORY OF WHAT IS RIGHT WILL TRIUMPH OVER WRONG.

sandwich_ed

February 28th, 2006 at 10:10 pm

UP always has to take a stand. People’s money is spent for the education of the nation’s scholars and by this, we scholars have to take a stand against any wrong doing that is done by the government. We owe it to the Filipino people to denounce the corruption that plagues this nation’s institutions.

bikoy.net » Diliman Republic II

February 28th, 2006 at 10:12 pm

[…] Here’s the official statement of the University Council. Refer to this PCIJ entry for more information about the University Council. Defend our civil liberties and fight for freedom! Oppose Proclamation No. 1017! […]

jr_lad

February 28th, 2006 at 11:32 pm

magandang puntos dimasalang. mukhang nalito nga si benignO. kala puntos na. pero siguradong lulusot yan.

rego

March 1st, 2006 at 1:01 am

Exactly Penpen, all citizens are entitled to a voice so even if even those that doesn’t agree with your conviction at kahit saan pa sila naroon!!!!

penpenpen88 said,
February 28, 2006 @ 9:19 pm

rom_14

March 1st, 2006 at 1:43 am

the UP Diliman Council should just focus on improving the quality of students under them.

lokalokang matino

March 1st, 2006 at 2:08 am

dimasalang, aragorn, mga anak, RELAX, ganyan lang si benignO mahilig magpatawa. Masasanay din kayo sa kanya, ilang basa nyo pa sa mga bloggs nya at MATUTAWA na rin kayo sa kanya.

assumptionista

March 1st, 2006 at 8:47 am

at least UP is taking a stand, unlike Assumption College ….na dati active sa rallies, anti-chacha, defending Davide during his attempted impeachment, PP1 and PP2……..nahahalata tuloy na sobrang maka Gloria…..Shame on you……. akala ko ba itiinuturo nyo sa students ang collective social responsibility & honesty…… baliktad yata ginangawa nyo ngayon please review again your core values… isama nyo na “an Ac student/graduate is allowed to lie, cheat and get away with it……shame….!!!

scud_1975

March 1st, 2006 at 10:51 am

penpen,
Wow..kainggit naman kayong mga nasa Pinas, parang kayo lang lagi may karapatan. Pag tumataas ang piso, ang puri nasa mga Pinoy abroad..pag babagsak ang piso ang sisi kay Gloria, Eh kayo bang mga nanjan, anong kontribusyon nyo sa bayan? negatibo o positibo? Ang stand ng isang eskwelahan di nangangahulugan stand ng mga studyante. Ang perang gumugulong sa UP lahat yan galing sa taumbayan, di yan pera lang ng iilan.. warasheym!

March 1st, 2006 at 11:01 am

scud,

you should thank UP because at least they make a stand, it means money well spent by tax payers….

Unlike your idol…..that is money wasted…what a shame!…..

OpenUpUrMind

March 1st, 2006 at 12:06 pm

BenignO,

Benign as you think you are, can you tell me what’s wrong with Leftists, Communists or Communism, Socialists or Socialism?

I think the CPP/NDF has been legalized [or to that effect] as a party under the 1987 Constitution.

It’s SillyBush and RascalDick [and likeminded] who labeled them as “terrorists”. But look who’s talking? Aren’t they’re the one terrorizing their own?

March 1st, 2006 at 12:12 pm

Those at UP who voiced out their sentiments against 1017 are the majority. Why?

Because those who were silent are themselves “for” and “against” whose numbers presumably offset each other.

March 1st, 2006 at 12:29 pm

i think yung walk-out ng mga students ngayon sa UP to protest and show their disgust against the administration is enough proof that they are all united and casts doubts as to what the general student populace stand is for.

March 1st, 2006 at 1:10 pm

rom,

FYI, the University Council, by making these statements, are thinking of improving the quality of life of the students under them.

eyesWideopen2

March 1st, 2006 at 1:26 pm

I love UP!

March 1st, 2006 at 6:37 pm

U.P. naming mahal
Pamantasang hirang
Ang tinig namin
Sana’y iyong dinggin
Malayong lupain
Amin mang marating
Di rin magbabago ang damdamin
Di rin magbabago ang damdamin

Luntian at pula
Sagisag magpakailanman
Ating ipagdiwang
Bulwagan ng dangal
Humayo’t itanghal
Giting at tapang
Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan
Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan.

March 2nd, 2006 at 9:12 am

sandwich_ed, dimasalang,

“UP always has to take a stand. People’s money is spent for the education of the nation’s scholars and by this, we scholars have to take a stand against any wrong doing that is done by the government. We owe it to the Filipino people to denounce the corruption that plagues this nation’s institutions.”

“FYI, the University Council, by making these statements, are thinking of improving the quality of life of the students under them.”

agreed, wholeheartedly. to some extent i feel a bit of disappointment knowing that there are UP students who don’t involve themselves. i pay my taxes, in effect i’m among those subsidizing their tuition. not only should UP have the best and brightest, but being the premiere state university it should also have those most committed to the betterment of this country.

follow-up: i hope that those who took a stand continue to do so even in their lives after UP. “serve the people” is an obligation that UP alumni must recognize, having studied in whole or in part through the sweat of the people. remember the UP alumnus who was cross-examined by miriam defensor-santiago in the estrada impeachment trial? the one made to explain why she gave up a lucrative law practice for a cause-oriented one?

pazogie

March 2nd, 2006 at 4:09 pm

Malakas talaga ang dating pagnagkaisa ang mga guro at estudyante.

Pambihira itong pangyayari na kung tutuosin ay dapat malakas si GMA sa UP. Sa kanya ang bagong presidente at ang dean ng college of law.

Pero kung titingnan natin ang history ng UP maiintindihan natin. Independent minded sila at hindi nagpapagamit ng iba, lalo na sa trapo. Tila matindi ang pagsunod ng paninindigan nila sa hustisya at ano man ang tama para sa tao at sa bayan.

Saludo kami nitong ginawa nila laban sa PP1017.

paz and ogie

devo

March 2nd, 2006 at 6:47 pm

ok lang yan sa mga studyante. pabayaan niyo na lang sila… wala namang mawawala kung sasali sila dyan. and mga teacher din enjoy dahil walang paso. pag ka graduate at kailangan nang maghanap buhay para pakainin ang mga anak nila saka na yan mag-iisip kung dapat pa ba siyang sumali ulit sa mga protestang ganyan.

pag wala nang makain yung mga anak nila dahil wala silang trabaho gigising din yan…

masarap mag walkout lalo na kung may exam nang araw na yan… so hala magpakasawa kayo sa kaka protesta… kung hindi kayo ang gagawa niyan, sino pa!… kami na kayod ng kayod para kumita….. at kung hindi ngayon, e di bukas!

tambuli

March 3rd, 2006 at 4:43 pm

Karapatan ang sumangayon at di sumangayon …. your choice

March 3rd, 2006 at 6:10 pm

by rego
Exactly Penpen, all citizens are entitled to a voice so even if even those that doesn’t agree with your conviction at kahit saan pa sila naroon!!!!
— i agree e sinu ba sumusupil sa mga rights na yan?? kami ba? =)

Wow..kainggit naman kayong mga nasa Pinas, parang kayo lang lagi may karapatan. Pag tumataas ang piso, ang puri nasa mga Pinoy abroad..pag babagsak ang piso ang sisi kay Gloria, Eh kayo bang mga nanjan, anong kontribusyon nyo sa bayan? negatibo o positibo? Ang stand ng isang eskwelahan di nangangahulugan stand ng mga studyante. Ang perang gumugulong sa UP lahat yan galing sa taumbayan, di yan pera lang ng iilan.. warasheym!
— di naman.. akin lang eh sinu ba yung direktang naapektuhan sa mga sitwasyon sa bayan natin now? kayo ba o kami? anung kotribusyon namin sa bayan? mga buwis po namin ang ginagamit sa pagpapatakbo sa pamahalaang ito.. mga buwis po namin ang nagpapaaral sa karamihan ng mga kabataan dito hangang high skul po wlang byad di po ba? para mag college nalang sila eh pwede na silang mag abroad katulad mo.. if feeling mo thats not enough for us to be entitled a voice eh di pumunta ka po rito.. dito ka manirahan.. after 5 years kung feeling mo ok yung pamamalakad ni gloria dun ka magsalita kung me karapatan ba kaming magsalita or not.. thenks

get real gloria =-)

March 5th, 2006 at 12:57 am

FYI penpen, wala pang isang taon nung umalis ako jan. at gaya mo, taxpayer din ako. Wala akong sinabi na wala kayong karapatan magsalita, dahil gaya mo rin nirerespeto ko ang paniniwala ng iba.

bluemoon

March 7th, 2006 at 4:02 pm

#
scud_1975 said,

March 1, 2006 @ 10:51 am

___________________

I used to believe in activists coming from UP…but as of now one can see that they are better off attending their classes than trying to keep up the university’s reputation for activism, while the principle behind is lacking.

Mon A.

March 10th, 2006 at 1:46 am

Tama lang yang ginagawa ng mga estudyante ng UP. At least hindi sila pumapayag na apak-apakan na lang ni Gloria ang dangal ng mga Pilipino. Inagaw na ni Gloria ang lahat sa sambayanang Pilipino. Ang kanyang boto, ang perang pinaghirapan, pati ba naman kalayaang magsalita? Binaboy niya ang moralidad na pinahahalagahan ng ating lahi.

Kaya nga tayo pumapasok sa eskwelahan para malaman kung anong tama at mali.Anong silbi ng pinag-aralan kung hindi ipaglalaban kung anong tama at magbubulag-bulagan sa kamaliang nangyayari sa lipunan?

Ang paaralan ang mga institusyong dapat manindigan kung anong tama at mali kaya …

Mabuhay ang UP! Ibagsak si Gloria!

cryfirst

March 19th, 2006 at 2:47 pm

hey!
UPD if you think that Proclamation 1017 is not justifiable, then what do you think would be the best thing our president could do? And besides, it is not only the president who is at stake here, we are also part of it. Do you think having a revoulutionary form of government would be the best we could possibly have in order to instill unity and peace here in our country. Do you think only the Manila People are affected with this crisis? You know what, other provinces are also affected yet even though they don’t feel the difference when they are in here, Manila and in their own provinces i.e visayas and mindanao.
There is this proposal that it would be good for the country if we have snap elections. Do you think this is also the best solution to our problem?
For my own stand, i would still accept PGMA as my president until her term only then choose another leader to replace her. Let’s just hope everything would be fine when we are under her. Hope for the best. The best thing we can do as a citizen in this country is avoid any riot, chaos and destabilization of our country

thanks, from Silliman Universtiy

ruby_i

March 20th, 2006 at 10:18 pm

cryfirst says:
Do you think having a revoulutionary form of government would be the best we could possibly have in order to instill unity and peace here in our country. Do you think only the Manila People are affected with this crisis? You know what, other provinces are also affected yet even though they don’t feel the difference when they are in here, Manila and in their own provinces i.e visayas and mindanao.

You are missing the point here:
THe UPD Council is not pushing for a revolutionary form of government. What it aims to do is to protect individual rights and to serve as a haven for those persons who have reasonable reasons to believe that their basic freedoms will be subjected to harassment.

I am not part of the “Manila people” crowd, I am a Cebuana but I realise and I would suggest that you try to discern on it as well- that when GMA tries Machiavellian tactics like proclaiming “an emergency rule” and tries to hamper basic freedoms , there are no legitimate reasons to hope for a better government while it is still under her. I am not advocating riot, chaos or destabilization of our country, what we need to do as a people is to find informed solutions and processes that will enable us to stand for our rights and to circumvent the sinister machinations of the government to hold on to power.

March 28th, 2006 at 9:31 am

the problem with all of us is the we always watch our own interest but not the interest of the country. We did have the best opporunity the any person or country could have but we just throw it out of the window. we could throw insult at each others but would not help the present and future generation? pls. wake up and work together for the better future of the country and not your own pocket.

UP Diliman Council challenges Proclamation 1017

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