Captured Moments, Reps in Action During Budget Hearings

For the past weeks, there were a couple of events that happened both in and outside Congress–budget troopings of youth leaders, protest action led by NUSP at the budget hearing of the National Defense, signature campaign initiated by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino, Representatives voicing their collective opposition to budget cuts to State Universities and Colleges in a press conference, giant manifesto signing of Reps opposed to budget cuts and a big youth and students walk-out.

Below are some photos captured during the ongoing budget hearings in Congress.








Photos taken by Fred Dabu of the Office of Rep. Antonio Tinio

Burning of Pnoy's Effigy, a First in His Term

On September 24, 2010, thousands of youth and students trooped to the streets to protest the impending budget cuts on State Universities and Colleges.

The budget for SUCs for 2011 has been slashed by 1.7 percent, from P23.8 billion in 2010 to only P23.4 billion.

The burning of Noynoy's effigy was the first to be done under his term.##

Photo courtesy of Victor Villanueva.

My Recollection of My Best Days at NUSP

The NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES (NUSP) is a nationwide alliance of more than 750 student councils, governments and unions committed to the advancement of the students’ democratic rights and welfare. Established in 1957, the NUSP has been consistently at the forefront of the students’ struggle for their rights and in solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for social justice and meaningful change in society.
I was first exposed to NUSP in 1999 when I attended the NUSP Congress held at the Santa Monica Beach Resort in Infanta, Quezon. I was then President of the PUP College of Business-Student Council. Dennis Maga was the National President then. Familiar faces at this Congress include Tinay Palabay, then Kasama sa UP Chair, Dennis Longid, who was UP Student Regent at that time, Sheila Omaña, KC Bugayong, Issey Sugiyama, Marlou Abaja, Gary Montenegro and Angge Santos.

The following year, this time as President of the Central Student Council of PUP, I got to participate more actively in NUSP activities. That year was marked by several big protest rallies and boycotts denouncing Erap's war budget. Ang panawagan ay Edukasyon Hindi Gyera! at May Pera sa Gyera, Wala sa Eskwela!

NUSP was founding organization of Erap Resign Youth Movement. It also actively supported the P125 wage hike campaign of workers and P5,000 salary increase of teachers and government employees.

Year 2001, was a rather extra-ordinary Congress. The Congress was held the day after then President Erap was toppled from Malacanang. Fresh from the historic march from EDSA People Power Monument to Mendiola, it was a real feat, pagod pagod pa from the mob. What with several days spent at EDSA along with thousands of students, workers, teachers, urban poor, church people, and other groups and personages. The Congress was held at the Hospicio de San Jose, Manila.

That same year, the call to abolish ROTC immediately gained nationwide support following the death of UST student Mark Chua, who exposed irregularities in the ROTC unit in UST. The nationwide clamor, signature drive for the abolition of ROTC, and Sunday walk-outs of ROTC cadets paved the way to the passage of Republic Act 9163 or the NSTP Law, which removed mandatory ROTC as a prerequisite for graduation for college students.





The following year, the Congress was held at Palo, Leyte. This same Congress was where I was elected Executive Vice President of NUSP. I was serving my last few months as PUP Student Regent then. At this same Congress, Mong Palatino was elected National President, Tinay Palabay as National Secretary General, Jaire Tuburan as VP for Mindanao, Diana Ragub as VP for Visayas and Sally Lagos as VP for Luzon. Other National Officers include Marlou Abaja, then International Liaison Officer and former President of Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Konseho-PUP, and Leonardo 'Jun' Guevarra aka Giba as Deputy Secretary General. Giba also served as Chairperson of the UP Manila University Student Council. Also with the National Secretariat at that time were Cherry Clemente and Ninai Festin, former UP Diliman USC Vice Chairperson.

Our head office then was at Basilio Street, Sampaloc. Meetings were always full of laughter with loads of fun and crazy stuff. There was never a boring meeting. Marlou had a pet chick (as in sisiw!). And we also had a pet rabbit. Who will ever forget Rebo?

Tinay was a great trainer and mentor. It was imperative that all of us learn how to write a press statement. Mornings were spent listening to the radio and reading the newspaper for tit-for-tat. School hopping was a must. Wala pang twitter nun! Uso pa ang pag-fax ng media advisory at press statements.

Naalala ko rin, nag-aagawan pa kami ni Giba sa librong Harry Potter. Itinago ito ni Tinay dahil mas dapat daw igugol ang panahon sa pagbabasa ng relevant documents at books na nasa library namin.

The next Congress was held at Tanchuling Beach Resort at Oroquieta City, Misamis Oriental. Tinay failed to join us at this Congress because a big youth mobilization coincided with a national activity. She was the only one left in Manila. This was one of the most memorable Congresses I attended. You can ask Mong why.

The last Congress that I attended as part of the National Office was at Bacacay, Albay.


Through the years, NUSP has not waned in its pledge to organize the most number of student leaders and councils nationwide. NUSP enjoys the reputation of being the most organized, the biggest and most consolidated alliance of student councils nationwide.

As it celebrates its 53rd founding anniversary, it is but right that we give due credit not only to past presidents but more so to our distinguished alumni, former officers, national secretariat and thousands of student councils who continue to make the torch of militant student leadership shine as brighter as ever.

Kudos to present NUSP members and officers for the success of the NUSP-NCR Congress. Onward to 60th!

Should We Give Mercy to the "Merciless?"

On September 2 and 7, the Committee on Justice convened for the determination of sufficiency in form and substance of the two impeachment complaints filed against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

Immediately after the Committee declared the complaints sufficient both in form and substance, Gutierrez sought the Supreme Court's intervention by filing a petition saying that the committee's decision to hear 2 impeachment complaints simultaneously violated a constitutional provision allowing only one impeachment case a year.

As Inquirer aptly puts in its banner story "Swift SC mercy for Merci," indeed, mercy came too swiftly for Ombudsman Gutierrez.

Voting 8-3-4, the SC ruled in favor of Gutierrez ordering the Committee on Justice to observe a Status Quo Ante, with literal meaning the "way things were before." As in the words of Supreme Court Spokesperson Midas Gutierrez, “the tribunal’s directive meant that the panel should observe the situation before it decided to give due course to two separate impeachment complaints after finding them sufficient in form and substance.”

Below are the general allegations hurled against Ombudsman Gutierrez filed by the complainants Renato Reyes of BAYAN, and Sister Mary John Mananzan of Pagbabago, among others:

a) Failure and omission to act promptly on the anomalous disbursement of funds and other anomalous transactions in the case of the "Fertilizer Scam"

b) Refusal to prosecute Gen. Eliseo de la Paz, one of the "Euro Generals" for his illegal act of not declaring before custom officials the more than Ten Thousand US Dollars.

c) Repeated failure to take action on the poll automation contract awarded to the Mega Pacific Consortium which was declared anomalous and void by the Supreme Court in 2004.

Ombudsman Gutierrez has notoriously stalled all cases of anomalies involving former president and now Pampanga 3rd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Quoting from the complainants, Ombudsman Gutierrez "miserably failed to live up to the role of ombudsman during the five years she has held the position."

It is clear that more influential people are behind the decision, and that there are concerted and desperate efforts to shield Ombudsman Gutierrez from the impeachment complaints.#

Ang iyong pagyao at ang libong nagpupugay. Paalam Ka Roda.

Huli kong nakita si Ka Roda sa isang tribute sa kanya noong Pebrero 14, 2009. Naimbitahan ang People’s Chorale na umawit ng mga lumang awitin na paborito ni Ka Roda.

Ang repertoire ng People’s Chorale para sa araw na iyon ay Moonriver, Fernando ng Abba na me lyrics na “there was something in the air that night, the stars were bright Fernando (na pinalitan namin ng Medardo), Here, There and Everywhere, at Something Stupid. Pero sa huli, ang 2 kantang inawit namin ay Moonriver at Around the World. Pula ang ni-require na damit para sa mga dadalo at magtatanghal ng araw ng iyon. Pula dahil sa nagpapatuloy at di nagmamaliw na pagpupugay at pagmamahal ng kilusang masa kay Ka Roda, o dahil din siguro araw ng mga puso!

Hindi karaniwan ang araw na iyon. Una, bagamat korni, kadalasan sa araw ng mga puso, aminin man natin o hindi, ay may sariling date ang mga may karelasyon at/o mag-asawa. Hindi karaniwan dahil si Ka Roda ang ka-date ng mga kasama. Parangal/tribute na natatangi at nararapat lamang para sa isang kasamang binansagang “most rebellious driver the country has ever had” ng dating diktador na si Ferdinand Marcos pero most loved sa kilusang masa.

Naalala ko rin a few years back, 2 beses kong nakasabay magpa-acupunture sa Council for Health and Development (CHD) si Ka Roda. Parehong nilalagyan ng aparato ang mga karayom namin na nagdadala ng kaunting electric current. Si Ka Roda ng mga panahon na iyon ay hindi pa naka-wheel chair.

Sa sumunod na pagkakataong nakita ko si Ka Roda, naka-wheel chair na siya. Ito ay sa parangal ni Ka Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran. Isa si Ka Roda sa mga nagpadaloy ng luha ko sa maraming nag-alay ng awit at pananalita. Hindi naging hadlang ang hirap nya sa pagsasalita nung panahon ng parangal para maramdaman at maipaabot nya ang matinding pighati sa pagpanaw ng isa sa dakilang lider manggagawa ng bansa.

Ngayong ikaw naman ang pararangalan, bukas ala-6 ng gabi sa UCCP, kami naman ang paniyak paluluhain mo Ka Roda – pagkat ikaw ay pinakamamahal di lamang ng mga drayber na iyong pinamunuan sa mahabang panahon bilang dating pangulo ng Piston kundi ng lahat ng sektor na nagpupugay sa di matatawarang kontribusyon mo at paglahok sa pakikibaka ng sambayanang inaapi.

Hindi man inabot ng mga nakababatang henerasyon ng mga tibak ang nakilala naming magaling na lider masa, bubuhayin ang iyong mga alala sa pagpapatuloy ng pakikibaka para sa tunay na kalayaan at demokrasya.

Maraming salamat at pinakamataas na pagpupugay Ka Roda!