You are summoned!

“Crisis is the time that the nation calls for the youth to move and be militant.”

Centennial era had ended but our story still continues. If we try to scan on the previous pages, we will see that a lot of things remain unfold. The year 2007 was the approval of the BOR of the 300% increase in tuition fee and speculations were heard that tuition will continue to increase annually base on inflation rate (and was said by UP President Emerlinda Roman on a TV Program). On April 2008, RA 9500 or the UP Charter was signed and approved by President Gloria Arroyo. Just this December, the General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) was conducted to review the Codified Rules on Student Regent Selection (CRSRS). To comply with what RA 9500 stated in one of its provisions (Section 1 [g] One Student Regent, to serve for a term of one (1) year, chosen by the students from their ranks in accordance with rules and qualifications approved in a referendum by the students) the CRSRS will be into a referendum by the students. Such rules will be used on the selection of the next Student Regent, if and only if 50%+1 of the students of the whole UP System will vote a “YES”. If this fails, incumbent SR Shahana Abdulwahid will remain in office until a replacement is selected and another referendum is successful.

Why do we vote YES to CRSRS if either saying YES or NO will still end up with a Student Regent? Since the term of the SR had overdue already (SR Abdulwahid’s term ended when 2008 ended), the existing CRSRS must be ratified by the students for us to select the next Student Regent. The presence of a student regent in the BOR is mandated in the new charter. In case this referendum will not be successful, there will be no guidelines on how to select the next SR. I said awhile ago that the incumbent will remain in position until such time that a replacement is selected. But the thing here is our SR is graduating this April in her MA. We know that a non-student cannot be a Student Regent, like what had happened in the late 1990’s where a SR was kicked out of the BOR because he was on LOA. Thus, SR Shahana cannot anymore extend in her office after her graduation. This is where predicament comes. The BOR will not allow the absence of a member of the board. Thus, if this referendum fails, the BOR will find ways and means to have a SR. If this referendum fails, there will be no guide for the selection of the next SR. If this referendum fails, we shall again wait for a new referendum. Think of this. Do you think that we can do this right away? February or even March will not be enough, especially that there are already manifesto of appeals for the amendments on some of the CRSRS provisions. We should not wait for another referendum. Why are we saying this? We said the incumbent SR’s term is over. This is the menace. Anytime, the BOR can question the SR’s legitimacy as a SR. Anytime, the BOR can nullify the SR because of her deferment in office. We should not tolerate a ‘Student Regent-less’ epoch because this will make the OSR vulnerable to abuses and prejudices from political powers.

We say YES to CRSRS because we need to secure our very sole representation to the Board of Regents! We say YES to CRSRS because it is only through the SR that our issues and concerns as students are being carried to the BOR. We say DEFEND THE OSRwe are threaten to have a 'Student Regent-less' epoch again because . A YES vote is the most prudent way to answer these dilemmas.

CM! You are summoned now! This is our weapon to protect our rights as students!

DEFEND THE OSR!

YES FOR A SR!

YES TO CRSRS!

MABUHAY ISKOLAR NG BAYAN!

Official Statement

League of Filipino Students

UPV Iloilo City Chapter

January19, 2009