Buti na lang ha?
More than a week ago, I was present at a meeting of sorts with UP President Emerlinda Roman. Apparently, she wasn’t aware than I am a member of the incoming University Student Council and is presently the secretary general of the leading militant student alliance in the university. Because she thought she was speaking with like-minded students, students who thought like the administration, she went on talking very casually about her feelings towards militants and activists. I was thinking if I should’ve courteously disclosed my affiliations, but didn’t end up bothering to, because I sort of wanted her to just go on revealing things she wouldn’t normally say out loud.
She did admit a few things, among which her recognizing how difficult it is to defeat the militants in the student council elections. Because she thought we were all non-activists, she urged us students present to consolidate better in order to win against the activists in the elections. I was wiling to pass those, among other things, off, as I had expected such thoughts to come from her.
However, when we were about to leave, she left us with an interesting remark. She said she was pleased President Arroyo’s moratorium on tuition increases in state universities won’t affect the University of the Philippines. She said, “Buti na lang di tayo apektado noon ‘no?” Hindi na lang ako nag-react. That just capped and reinforced my disappointment at the UP President, pleasantries and sweet tarts aside. It also reinforced the fact that President Arroyo’s moratorium on tuition increase is all for show to water down youth dissent, as it is meaningless because tuition and laboratory fees in state colleges and universities have already increased incessantly the past years.
Tags: campus issues, tuition increase, UP Administration, UP President
this is very unethical of you bikoy.
first, you are publishing something out of private conversations
second, you didn’t disclose your affiliations to roman while you allowed her to speak against your kind
that is called tactics don’t you know that?
oh and private or public man, its just right for everyone else to know whats going on. everyone’s involved in this after all right?
what the. kwento pa bikoy!:p
reading from the way roman talked to you, she seems to be close-minded about activists (at least from the way you wrote it). Obviously she won’t be this too honest and tactless if she didn’t know your political leaning.
maybe you were taken aback with the first-time experience, but it would be a shame if your conversations continue like that (you getting honest, frank opinions from roman and telling it to your militant party mates which fuels their ire and antagonism). my point is, you could have actually used the opportunity to “start” striking a conversation about how militant interests can be discussed on the table. i know its easy for someone like me to say it, since lobbying is fucking complicated especially with university politics, but I’m sure you know what I mean. Maybe identity disclosure is the first step.
my 2 cents…
(don’t get me wrong, i don’t side with any of the rightist and leftist party)
i don’t think roman hates activists. in fact to her, such is just part of youth idealism and role-playing, she even said when such activists grow old they will change naman, so she just understands and lets us be. and she candidly shares how she has learned to shrug off being called all sorts of names in rallies. aside from that, i think she’s resigned to the fact na ganyan talaga ang student politics and life in UP. nagpasalamat nga siya in our conversation that the likes of shan abdulwahid, marco delos reyes, and other past militant student leaders went to his father’s wake, and even the all-up workers alliance held off a campaign for a few days in deference to her grief. in other words, there is not as much needless antagonism as some people believe, and cordiality is present when needed.
table discussions are a staple naman between activists in student institutions and the administration. but that is a privilege not enjoyed by the rest of the students.
thanks for clarifying, I meant Roman watering down leftists specifically, and not activists in general. Roman is mature that way, she doesn’t dismiss other ideologies, but treats the left as source of healthy discourse (and safeguard against too much liberalism). Net, I guess its an issue of her admin’s willingness to listen to marginalized interests and more importantly, act on them. And I think you guys are doing a good job in that department.
political career-wise, i still think rubbing elbows with roman would be better (and more exciting, haha :D) if she knew your affiliation.
Claiming this to be unethical is like calling Neri a principled man.
Why tag the blogger as unethical? I suppose, hindi naman off the record yung meeting.
Table battles and discussions are part and parcel of the roles (and privileges) given to student council members. Dito madalas mararamdaman at maririnig ang lahat ng forms ng antagonism mula sa admin. Haha. Kung ano man yung mga napag-usapan, expected na ie-expose yun ng student council members. It’s not being unethical, it’s actually reporting what happened sa discussions with the admin.
Pero kung ako yung nasa discussion na ‘yan, magpapakilala ko after niyang sabihin yung “feelings” niya sa activists..haha.. an intellectual discourse would surely take place.
-outgoing chair
uplb cdcsc
*blog hopping*
..ipinaglaban mo man lang sana ang hinaing ng mga estudyante tungkol diyan sa tuition fee increase…
oh my god. si roman talaga. pera pera pera.