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THE NATIONAL

GUILDERAng Opisyal na Pahayagan ng College Editors Guild of the Philippines

BALITADuterte pressed to free all political prisoners, resume peace talks | pahina 3Student journos slam CHED, Aquino for ‘farewell’ tuition hike | pahina 3Students hold ‘Occupy DepEd’, call on Duterte to stop K-12 | pahina 7Campus press wants Aquino jailed over media killings, political prisoners | pahina 6

Abril-Hunyo 2016

LATHALAINKwento ng Paglalala at Pakikibaka sa Paglaya | pahina 5

Naging makasaysayan ang pambansang eleksyon ng 2016. Higit sa pag-usbong ng pampulitikang diskurso ay naipahiwatig din ng mamamayan ang lakas nito na angkinin ang pagbabago. Napatunayan ito sa napakalakas na suporta sa isang kandidatong may pusturang makabayan at makamamamayan laban sa dating naghaharing partido, ang Liberal Party (LP).

Ang pagkapanalo ni Rodrigo Duterte ay maituturing na protest vote laban sa anim na taon ng Tuwid na Daan. Ang muling pagtangka sa pwesto ng LP ay hindi nakapagtatakang nabigo, bunsod ng mariing diskuntento ng mamamayan sa administrasyon ni Noynoy Aquino. Kinikilala niya ang mga militanteng organisasyon at ang kahalagahan nito sa tunay na pagbabagong panlipunan. Ang kaniya ring tindig sa mga isyu ay nakakikitaan ng pagpapahalaga sa demokrasya at kasarinlan ng masang Pilipino.

Sa kabuuan, may mga signipikante nang hakbang si Pangulong Duterte na ating tinatanggap.Una, idineklara ni Duterte ang kagustuhan nito na ipagpatuloy ang peace talks. Ang katapatan nito sa

usaping pangkapayapaan ay manipestasyon din ng kanyang katapatan sa pagkakaroon ng pag-unlad na nakabatay sa makatarungan at pangmatagalang kapayapaan. Nagkaroon na ng inisyal na pulong ang pamahalaan at ang National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) at inaasahang gugulong muli ang formal peace talks. Mahalaga ang usapin sa pagtugon sa ugat ng armadong tunggalian sa ating bansa kung kaya’t mahalaga ang pakikipagtulungan na masolusyunan ang mga batayang problema ng bansa.

Pangalawa, bukas at hayag din si Duterte sa mga sentimyento nito laban sa agresibong interbensyon ng Estados Unidos sa ating pulitika, ekonomiya at larangang militar. Isa itong magandang oportunidad upang maitaas ang panawagang maibasura ang mga hindi pantay na tratado at kasunduan sa pagitan ng Estados Unidos at Pilipinas katulad ng Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) at Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Pangatlo, nakakitaan din ng pagtugon si Duterte sa hamon na magkaroon ng tunay na repormang agraryo at pambansang industriyalisasyon. Kamakailan lamang ay itinalaga niya bilang kalihim ng Department of Agrarian Reform si Ka Paeng Mariano, isang lider-magsasaka na lubos na nauunawaan ang kalagayan ng mga pesante. Sa usapin naman ng pambansang industriyalisasyon ay nagpahayag ng kagustuhan si Duterte na itayo ang steel industry upang mapakinabangan ang mga yamang mineral na matagal nang minimina at inaangkat ng mga dayuhan. Bagaman positibo, kailangan pa ring maging mapagbantay lalo na sa ilang kasapi ng gabinete na kilalang tagapagtaguyod ng mga neoliberal na patakaran.

Dagdag pa rito, naging kagulat-gulat din ang pagtanggap ni Duterte sa mga aktibista sa Palasyo ng Malacañan sa kanyang unang araw. Kung dati’y karahasan ang sumasalubong sa mga raliyista, ngayon ay pinasundo pa ni Duterte ang mga ito upang marinig ang sentimyento ng mamamayan. Nakatakda ring pirmahan ni Duterte ang isang executive order na magpapatupad ng freedom of information sa ehekutibong sangay ng pamahalaan, isang malaking pagkakaiba sa administrasyong Aquino na ipinagsawalang bahala ang pagtataguyod nito.

Maaga pa upang maging kampante. Sa ngayon, tayo ay nasa estado ng sabay na pakikipagtulungan at mahigpit na pagbabantay. Maaari nating itaguyod ang pagbabagong ating hangad sa pakikipagtulungan sa pamahalaan nang hindi isinusuko ang palaban at militanteng diwa ng mga progresibo. Ito ay nananatiling hamon lalo na sa mga kabataan na siyang may kakayahan at potensyal na tanggapin ang hamon ng panahon tungo sa isang malayang bukas.

PUNONG PATNUGOT: Marc Lino J. AbilaKATUWANG NA PATNUGOT: Ronilo MesaMGA KAWANI SA ISYU: Liana Acuzar, Josiah Eleazer Antonio, Jose Mari Callueng, Paolo Reyes

DIBUHO SA EDITORYAL: Beatrice VelascoLARAWAN SA PABALAT: Kyla Pasicolan

THE NATIONAL GUILDERAng Opisyal na Pahayagan ng College Editors Guild of the Philippines

MARC LINO J. ABILAPambansang Pangulo

The LPU Independent SentinelLyceum of the Philippines University

IAN HARVEY A. CLAROSTagapagpaganap na Pangalawang Pangulo

The Torch PublicationsPhilippine Normal University

LIANA ACUZARPangalawang Pangulo para sa Luzon

The Louisian CourierUniversity of Saint Louis Tuguegarao

ED SAMUEL BACALTOSTagapangasiwa para sa Visayas

Tug-AniUniversity of the Philippines Cebu

ROCHAMAE BIHAGPangalawang Pangulo para sa Mindanao

Mindanao VarsitarianMindanao State University

CHARINA CLAUSTRO Pambansang Pangkalahatang Kalihim

The CommunicatorPolytechnic University of the Philippines-Sta. Mesa

College of Communication

JOSE MARI CALLUENGPambansang Pangalawang Pangkalahatang Kalihim

The National, National University

PAMBANSANG KALIHIMAN

JOSIAH ELEAZER ANTONIO KALasag, University of the Philippines Diliman College

of Arts and Letters

JUBERT CABREZOSThe Philwomenian, Philippine Women’s University

JOHN VINCENT CANARES The Catalyst, Polytechnic University of the Philippines

ANTHONY DELA CRUZThe Mentors’ Journal, Bulacan State University

College of Education

MARY ROSE IGGIE ESPINOZAThe Arellano Standard, Arellano University

CHRISTIAN KINGThe Catalyst, Polytechnic University of the Philippines

ARJUN MENONThe Blue & Silver, Philippine Christian university

RONILO MESAThe Manila Collegian, University of the Philippines Manila

ANTON ONATOTinig ng Plaridel, University of the Philippines Diliman

College of Mass Communication

Pamuhatan: Room 305 National Press Club Bldg., Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila 1002Numero ng mobile.: (+63)928-980-2646Email: cegphils@gmail.comWebsite: www.cegp.orgFacebook: fb.com/CEGPNationalOfficeTwitter at Instagram: @CEGPhilsIssuu: issuu.com/thenationalguilder

College Editors Guild of the Philippines Pambansang Tanggapan

Pambansang Komiteng Tagapagpaganap

2014-2016

EDITORYAL

COLLEGE EDITORS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES

Para sa mga kontribusyon at pakikipag-ugnayan sa patnugutan, maaaring magpadala ng email sa cegp.newsdesk@gmail.com.

Hakbang pasulong

BALITA THE NATIONAL GUILDER Abril-Hunyo 2016 3

Duterte pressed to free all political prisoners, resume peace talksNational News Bureau

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) together with other progressive youth organizations staged a protest last June 15 in front of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila to demand for the release of all political detainees in the country and to urge incoming president Rodrigo Duterte to do such when he assumes office.

“Accused with trumped-up charges by the government, political prisoners are languishing in prisons in different parts of the country for crimes they did not commit,” said Marc Lino Abila, CEGP national president.

As of December 2015, there are 561 political detainees in the country, 136 of which are youth aged 18- 35 years old. In addition, 102 of the 136 youth political prisoners were arrested under the Aquino administration.

“They were students, activists, community organizers, workers, and farmers at the time of their arrest. As such, we enjoin the incoming Duterte government to drop the charges against them. We also hope that he will not continue the wrongful detainment of Filipinos committed by the Aquino administration through its counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan,” Abila explained.

Abila also said that releasing political detainees will bolster Duterte’s sincerity in reviving the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) through its negotiating arm National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

“Of the 561 political detainees currently

incarcerated, 16 are NDFP peace consultants. Releasing them along with all the other political prisoners will be a huge statement on how the incoming administration is committed to resume peace talks,” Abila added.

While Abila expresses high hopes on the incoming administration, he said that the campaign for the release of political

prisoners, as well as the protection of human rights, shall continue.

“The Guild strongly upholds the democratic rights of the Filipino people. We will continue to press for the release of all political prisoners in country as it entails on one hand the freedom to express dissenting views and opinions without the fear of being jailed,” Abila ended.

Student journos slam CHED, Aquino for ‘farewell’ tuition hikeNational News Bureau

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) strongly condemned the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for approving tuition and other fees increase in 304 private higher education institutions (HEIs) for academic year 2016-17, considering it as Aquino’s last shot to put burden on students.

Together with other youth groups, CEGP protested in front of the CHED office in Quezon City on June 10 to denounce the anti-student decision.

“Time and again, President Aquino, through his cohorts in CHED, proved that he is the archenemy of Filipino students in achieving quality and affordable tertiary education,” said Marc Lino Abila, CEGP national president.

According to the commission, 280 out of the 304 private HEIs were approved to increase tuition for the incoming academic year, while 252 will increase other school fees. Moreover,

average nationwide tuition hike stands at 5.10 percent or P43.39 per unit, while average increase in other school fees is at 5.41 percent or P115.58.

While the number of private HEIs approved to hike fees decreased from 313 last academic year, the Guild maintained that tuition and other school fee increase in itself violates the Filipino youth’s right to education.

Abila noted that incessant tuition hikes under the Aquino administration have claimed the lives of at least six students, including UP Manila behavioral sciences student Kristel Tejada, Cagayan State University respiratory therapy student Rosanna Sanfuego, and Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) agriculture student Jessiven Lagatic.

In addition, Abila said that existing laws such as the Education Act of 1982 and the Higher Education Modernization Act which have allowed unabated tuition and other school fee increases and must be repealed in

order to prevent these unfortunate incidents from happening again.

“Institutional policies on tuition deregulation serve as powerful pretext for CHED to rationalize tuition hikes. Couple it with the commission’s bogus guidelines on fee increases outlined in CHED Memorandum No. 3, series of 2012, we can only expect the cost of higher education to skyrocket in the years to come.

“As such, the aforementioned policies must be reviewed at the minimum and be scrapped altogether at the maximum to save the Filipino youth from the beast of commercialized education,” Abila pointed out.

“CEGP, along with progressive youth groups and student councils, will tirelessly campaign for the stopping of tuition hikes and for the enactment of a free higher education law. We will also exhaust all our efforts to make Aquino and Licuanan accountable for all their atrocities to the Filipino youth,” Abila ended.

Nanawagan ang CEGP at mga grupo ng kabataan sa bagong pangulong si Rodrigo Duterte na palayain ang mga bilanggong politikal at muling pagsisimula ng pormal na usapang pangkapayapaan sa pagitan ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas at National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Kabilang sa mga bilanggong politikal ay mga kabataan, mamamahayag pangkampus at ilang alumni ng CEGP. Larawan ni Josiah Eleazer Antonio.

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) congratulates its alumna Dr. Judy Taguiwalo for being appointed as Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary for the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

Dr. Taguiwalo, known as Ma’am Judy to her colleagues and students, is known not only for her activism but also as former Director of Center for Women’s Studies and Faculty Regent in the University of the Philippines (UP). In her college days, she wrote for UP Diliman’s student publication Philippine Collegian and actively participated in the First Quarter Storm of 1970 against the Marcos regime.

To recognize her invaluable contribution in forwarding the rights and interests of the masses, Ma’am Judy received Gawad Marcelo H. Del Pilar in 2006. Gawad Marcelo H. Del Pilar is given by the CEGP to its outstanding alumni for their dedication to serve the Filipino people and unwavering adherence to the patriotic and democratic principles of the Guild.

As she sits as the DSWD Secretary, the Guild is certain that Ma’am Judy will continue to address not just the troubles of her department but also the problems on land reform, decent jobs and education.

The campus press would also like to congratulate Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chairperson and former Anakpawis Partylist Representative Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano as the Agrarian Reform Secretary. Ka Paeng survived the infamous Mendiola Massacre in 1987.

With Ma’am Judy and Ka Paeng at the helm of their respective departments, the Guild firmly believes that they will continue to

be critical to the actions of the administration and champion the democratic interest of the Filipino people for adequate social services and genuine agrarian reform.

PAHAYAGTHE NATIONAL GUILDER Abril-Hunyo 20164

CEGP lauds alumna as DSWD Secretary

Dr. Judy Taguiwalo, an activist and academic, will lead the Department of Social Work and Development under the Duterte administration. Photo by Efren Ricalde.

The Prez and the PressRegrettably, the conversation between President-elect Rodrigo Duterte

and the news media has turned sharp and shrill. All but lost in the noise is the two parties’ common duty in law and tradition to serve and to inform the Filipino people on issues, events and policies that affect their interest and welfare.

A president—all at once the chief executive, fount of foreign policy, manager of the national household, guardian of peace and order, commander of the uniformed services, and arbiter of policy conflicts—is the most important pivot of news and policy in the land. A president is mandated by law to lead the nation and to promote transparency, accountability and good governance.

But the Constitution also upholds the citizens’ rights to free speech, free press, free expression, and peaceable assembly. It guarantees as well their right to due process, equality before the law, access to information, justice, and life.

As “the people’s private eye in the public arena,” the news media serve as custodian and gatekeeper of some of these rights. It’s a task that must be accomplished, and the President-elect’s predecessors as well as the nation’s journey from democracy to dictatorship and back illustrate why and how we must inquire into, inveigh against, and investigate questionable public officials and agencies, on the citizens’ behalf.

Thus, despite his vexation with those he calls the “lowlifes” and the “mouthpieces” in the news media, we must at all times cover him, his actions, and his statements. In truth, the news media must report more—and better—about him, his policies and his actions, with our reports guided by the best standards of accuracy, fairness and context.

This we must do even as we note at least two disturbing “messages” from the President-elect.

First, by saying that “corrupt journalists… vultures of journalism can die for all I care [because] you’re asking for it,” he mocks the memory of 172 journalists (at latest count) killed in the line of duty since democracy’s rebirth in 1986. The last reports filed by a majority of those slain journalists precisely exposed crime and corruption, the same social ills that he says he wants to curb. Sadly, not a single mastermind or principal suspect in these murders, including state agents, local warlords, and criminal elements, have been held to account.

Second, whether intended or not, his volcanic language has

dampened, indeed chilled, the daily reportage, so that journalists with valid, if testy, questions are seemingly forced to eat expletives by way of a response.

To be sure, corruption in the news media is as real as the 16-million vote that secured the victory of the President-elect. To be sure, corruption afflicts both individuals and agencies in the news media, and has evolved into a subculture with a language all its own.

As anywhere else, however, corruption in the news media is a supply-demand chain. One solution offers a key role for the incoming administration: Slay it at the source. The government’s own media agents, as well as politicians and corporate PRs who offer more than stories to get favorable coverage or to spike bad news, must, in the President-elect’s words, “stop it.” Another solution calls for quick action from media managers: Provide better pay and protection for journalists.

But here’s the thing: The institutional capture of the news media by politicians has begun in some parts of the country. Local politicians and their families have acquired ownership and control of print and broadcast media agencies, and certain local government units have bought block-time segments using public funds. The corruption of the news media thus also involves partisan political interests driving editorial processes—as the President-elect knows full well.

Yet for all the supposed differences, the news media and the President-elect have complete agreement on one factor: the urgency of a Freedom of Information Law. The issuance of an FOI executive order on Day One of his presidency should prevent the 17th Congress from tarrying in its task.

An FOI Law will provide the necessary institutional and legal framework for full and true functional links between transparency and accountability in government, and for the right of all Filipinos to access information in order to take part in nation-building.

We in the news media wish the incoming administration success in all its endeavors. As journalists and as citizens, we commit not only to do journalism right and better, but also to uphold and defend free speech, free press, free expression, and the people’s right to know.

*This is a pooled editorial released on June 29, 2016 by dominant and alternative media organizations nationwide.

Taintimang paglalala ang kinakailangan namin ni Kuya Jiri para makagawa kami ng mga basket. Mula alas-sais ng umaga hanggang alas-siyete ng gabi, tuloy ang paglalala.

Kasama namin sa grupo si Kuya Leani at si Steve. Teamwork kami sa paggawa. May taga-gawa ng ‘pwet’ o base ng basket. May taga-balot ng mga frame, may taga-siding at taga-tirintas. At sa huli lahat kami ay nagtatainga sa magkabiang side ng basket.

Cutter ang gamit namin sa pagputol ng mga palapa, lala at stick. Ang palapa at lala ay mula sa damong hyacinth habang yantok naman ang stick. Nakakagawa ng isag basket sa isang takdang oras depende sa laki nito. Ang isang basket na lagayan ng DVD ay nagagawa ng 45 minutos ganoon din ang basket ng MCS, kung lagayan naman ng folio isa’t kalahating oras habang ang isang basket na pabilog ay tumatagal sa paggawa ng tatlong oras.

Sa hindi pumapalyang headcount tuwing alas-siyete ng umaga, alas-dose ng tanghali, alas-tres ng hapon at alas-siyete ng gabi, isama mo pa ang pagkain at pagligo, swerte na ang maka-sampu sa isang bilanggong naglalala gaya namin.

Silbi ng PaglalalaSa bawat bilanggo lagi’t lagi ang pananabik na magkaroon ng dalaw.

Dala ng layo’t sa byahe, naroon ang pagdalang unti-unti ng mga dalaw. Kaya’t sa paglalala ang kapit namin para makagaod sa arawang buhay.

Sa bawat basket naming nagagawa, malaking ‘accomplishment’ na and dulot nito. Kahit masakit sa likod, ngalay na mga daliri, at pagal na katawan. Sa isang DVD basket kasi may P15.00 na kami, P18.00 naman sa MCS, mas malaking basket mas malaki rin ang presyo. At sa bawat benta mo tulad ng kalakaran ng mga kapitalista, kaltas ng limang piso sa halaga sa bawat benta.

Sinisikap naming makaipon ni Kuya Jiri nang may maabot naman para sa mga magulang naming dumadalaw. Sa kada hakot, pumapatak sa P250.00 ang sasahurin namin. Kada buwan ay may apat na hakot kaya naman papalo rin ito sa isang-libo.

May epektong therapeutic ang paglalala. Siguro nga tulong din ito mula sa bangungot, mula sa ilegal na pag-aresto at detensyon, mula sa intense interrogation at matinding mental torture mula sa mga kamay ng 3rd at 7th Infantry Batallion ng Philippine Army.

Agosto 9, 2014, dakong alas-dos y medya nang walang abug-abog kaming dinukot ng mga militar sa bahay nila Kuya Jeffrey, isang magsasaka sa Sitio Phinmaco, Brgy. TL Padilla, sa bayan ng Carranglan. Akala ko nga noon, katapusan ko na. Ngunit sa maagap na pagkalat at pagkalampag ng mga magulang namin, mula sa Kabataan Partylist at

ng Karapatan, sampu ng aming mga kamag-aral at propesor mula sa UP, naplitan din silang ilitaw kami.

Sa ngayon nga ay narito kami sa BJMP San Jose City District Jail. Tulad ng lahat ng kaso ng mga bilanggong pulitikal, gayang-gaya sa lahat ng mga istorya, dinukot, kinulong at sinampahan ng gawa-gawang kaso. Illegal Possession of Explosives, Ammunition, Illegal Possessin of Firearms na lalong pinabigat sa paratang na kami raw ay matataas na opisyal ng New People’s Army.

Katulad ng lamig ng aming selda, sagad hanggang buto ang panlilinlang ng estado sa amin. Masakit. Mabigat. Nakakabaliw. Ang mas malala naroon na kami sa huli. Diagnosed si Kuya Jiri ng Post Traumatic Depression, mula sa huling check up ng Health Action for Human Rights at ng Commission on Human Rights (CHR) sa amin. Sa kabila ng ito’y nagiging sagabal sa kay Kuya para makihalubilo sa iba, ang paglalala ang tumatakip sa ilang mga recurring nightmares ni Kuya.

Mabagal ang Hustisya, Hindi ang PakikibakaKatulad ng mga nangangalawang na selda, gasgas na rin ang

nagpapatuloy na kabagalan ng sistema ng hustisya sa ating bansa. Ilan sa mga iba umaabot ng dekada walang hearing na nadadaluhan. Sabi nga iba rito’y maswerte nang mailagay ang apelyido mo sa pisara.

Sabi nga ang estadong gipit sa pasismo kumakapit, diyata’t hindi pa nakuntento ang gubyernong ito. Maraming pagkakataong pinagbabawalan kaming lumabas ng compound at maging sa paghahakot ng mga basket,. Mas madalas pa nga ang pagdalaw sa amin ng mga intelligence at army kaysa sa aming magulang.

Nitong nagdaang unang linggo ng Enero 2016, bigla rin kaming pinagbawalan na mag-overtime sa paglalala. Utos daw kasi ni Warden. Diyata’t hindi pa nakuntento ay pati sa pwesto ng paglalalaan, pinaghihiwalay na kami. Dito ko na kinausap si Warden at naglinaw na hindi na makatwiran ang ginagawa nila sa amin ni Kuya Jiri at ito’y ipapaabot namin sa CHR. Sa naging usapan ay wala rin silang nagawa at hinayaan na kaming mag-OT at hindi na kami paghihiwalayin.

Kahit sa loob hindi kami tinatantanan ng karahasan at panggigipit. Sa kabila nito hindi kami nagpapalamon sa sistema. Hindi nagiging sagabal ang paglalala sa pakikibaka namin sa paglaya.

Daan-daan o libu-libong mang basket ang kailangan pa namin bunuin, alam namin, yayakapin kami ng babaeng wala ng piring at sasabihin sa amin kami’y malaya na.

*Isang akda ni Guiller Cadano kasama si Gerald Salonga hango sa sitwasyon nila loob sa piitan.

LATHALAIN THE NATIONAL GUILDER Abril-Hunyo 2016 5

Kwento ng Paglalala at Pakikibaka sa PaglayaGuiller Cadano at Gerald SalongaMga kabataang bilanggong politikal

Dibuho ni Paolo Reyes

National News Bureau

Youth groups led by the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) staged a protest in Mendiola last May 30 to demand the imprisonment of outgoing President Benigno Aquino III for its absolute failure to resolve cases of media killings and human rights violations.

“Six years after the single deadliest attack against the media in Ampatuan, Maguindanao and still, justice remains elusive. With that being said, there is nowhere else this president should go after his reign but in jail,” said Jose Mari Callueng, CEGP National Deputy Secretary General.

He noted that many suspects are yet to be put behind bars for the death of 32 media practitioners who were brutally murdered in the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan Massacre. Meanwhile, Andal Ampatuan Sr., the prime mastermind of the massacre, has already died in 2015 due to liver cancer.

“Aquino himself promised to give justice to the victims right after he assumed office but instead of convicting the perpetrators, he did nothing to advance the legal proceedings and to stop the culture of impunity,” Callueng added.

“The families of our murdered comrades hold unto that promise but since Aquino is not

committed to his job, the call for justice seems to fade with three of the vital witnesses killed and a suspect granted temporary freedom after posting bail that amounts to P11.8 million for 58 counts of murder,” Callueng said.

Meanwhile, media practitioners continue to be murdered and assaulted. The campus journo said that in the midterm of the Aquino administration, there were 18 media killings while there were also reports of threat and harassment to human rights and press freedom advocates. Today, there are already 30 counts of media murder.

“It is our justice system that suppresses and fails to protect and expand our right to free speech and free press. Threats and harassments also occur in campus press. If Aquino would really want to protect us, he should have immediately signed the Campus Press Freedom bill into law and scrapped the Campus Journalism Act,” Callueng demanded.

Callueng also mentioned the continued violation of human rights that resulted to the imprisonment of some 561 political prisoners who were accused of trumped-up charges by the government. By the end of 2015, CEGP has counted at least 136 youth political prisoners, 102 of them put in jail under Aquino’s watch.

“This is the answer of the outgoing administration in our call for justice: To further silence those who expose the truth about the rotten governance. Some of the youth political prisoners are fellow campus journalists who were captured in their line of duty. One of them is Maricon Montajes, UP Diliman film major and former photojournalist for the student publication of UP Baguio,” Callueng continued.

“This violation of human rights shall continue unless we convict Noynoy Aquino, the prime suspect. The Guild, alongside its member publications, will continue to defend the right to free press and seek justice for the violation to this basic human right,” Callueng ended.

BALITATHE NATIONAL GUILDER Abril-Hunyo 20166

Campus press wants Aquino jailed over media killings, political prisoners

CEGP urges Duterte to junk EDCA, VFA and other agreementsNational News Bureau

On Philippine Independence Day, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) called on president-elect Rodrigo Duterte to abrogate the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) as well as other agreements with the United States.

“As a patriotic organization, the Guild views EDCA and VFA detrimental to our national sovereignty. The return of US military bases in the Philippines through EDCA would only do harm than good to the Filipino people.

US military forces are here to protect their interests in the Asia-Pacific using our country as a military base,” said Marc Lino Abila, CEGP National President.

“US intervention in the Philippines and countries in the Middle East and Latin America only caused destruction and violations to the rights of its peoples. We shouldn’t forget the recent crimes which involved US troops such as Mamasapano encounter and Jennifer Laude murder,” Abila added.

Abila also called the incoming administration to defend the country from the

aggression of China as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands will issue the final decision on the West Philippine Sea dispute this month.

Progressive youth and student groups also held a rally today at the US Embassy in Manila to express their opposition to foreign intervention in the Philippines.

“The presence and intervention of US and Chinese troops in our territory undermine our sovereignty as a nation. We must defend our country and our interests as a people,” Abila ended.

Mula Mendiola sa Lungsod ng Maynila, sinugod ng mga progresibong grupo ang bahay ng kabababang pangulo na si Benigno Aquino III sa Times St. sa Lungsod Quezon noong Hunyo 30. Ipanawagan ang pagkakakulong ni Aquino sa kanyang mga krimen sa mamamayang Pilipino sa ilalim ng kanyang administrasyon. Larawan ni Josiah Eleazer Antonio.

National News Bureau

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) together with students, parents, and teachers camped out in front of the Department of Education (DepEd) last May 26 to demand the immediate stopping of K-12. The campout lasted until May 27.

“K-12 is an anti-poor and pro-capitalist-educator educational policy that the Aquino government will hand over to his successor. The next president will have to carry the burden of implementing this problematic policy, but ultimately, it is the Filipino youth who will suffer in the long run,” said Jose Mari Callueng, National Deputy Secretary General of CEGP.

Callueng reiterated that the K-12 will only worsen the drop-out rate in the country due to the incapacity of students to enter private senior high schools (SHS) where tuition fees are ranging from P25,000 to P100,000 per school year.

“This government leaves us no choice but to enroll in private schools since there are more private schools that will offer senior high school than public schools, as per DepEd 2015 yearend data. In the National Capital Region alone, only 2 out of 10 public schools will offer senior high school; 78 percent of SHS are private. While in regions, 736 of the 933 senior high schools are private. What is alarming here is that at least 700,000 to one million grade 10 students will be forced to enroll in private institutions because of the limited number of students that public schools can accommodate,” Callueng furthered.

Callueng maintained that the allocation of P21.2 billion for the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) and the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program from the 2016 budget for basic education is meant to secure the profit of capitalist-educators at the expense of the Filipino youth’s right to education

“Not only is this policy anti-poor, but worse, it is against the growth of nationalist, patriotic, and socially-conscious Filipino citizens

because under the K-12 law, Philippine History in high school, and Filipino, Literature, and Philippine Government and Constitution in college were abolished,” said Callueng.

According to him, K-12 is geared towards foreign interest as it will only produce cheap and semi-skilled laborers and will not answer the needs of the country. Instead of a foreign-biased policy, the government should work on providing a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented education for all.

“The study that they even cited to justify K-12 shows that there are no proof that the longer time a student spend in school is equated to higher test results. In the data provided by

Trends in International Mathematics and Sciences (TIMMS), Singapore, whose secondary education cycle is the same as the Philippines’ (4 years), has topped the test, even surpassing Russia, Australia, and US,” Callueng said.

“We are calling on the next President, Rodrigo Duterte, to register his opposition on K-12; a move of the Aquino government destroys our right to basic education and confirms the continuous commercialization of education in our country. K-12 will only deny us our right to free public education in elementary and high school which is highly enshrined in Section 2 of our Constitution, and so it has to be stopped now,” Callueng ended.

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Students hold ‘Occupy DepEd’, call on Duterte to stop K-12

Youth groups vow intensified calls to end labor contractualizationNational News Bureau

Progressive youth organizations trooped the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) office in Intramuros, Manila on June 21 to protest against the rampant contractual employment implemented by big companies in the country.

Together with workers, they burned a mock contract of service to signify their rage over the said labor scheme legitimized through the Labor Code of the Philippines and DOLE orders and promised to pressure authorities to repeal these

oppressive legal rules.“Instead of upholding workers’ rights and

welfare, the labor department is even at the forefront of denying Filipinos of security of tenure and living wages. This must be put to an end by junking DOLE Order 18-A, series of 2011, and ultimately, by amending the Labor Code,” said Marc Lino Abila, CEGP national president.

Abila noted how widespread contractualization is in the country, as manifested in numerous workers protests and strikes staged to demand regularization as well as just compensation.

“We have seen how ‘endo’ and ‘contractualization’ became buzzwords during the election period, as it is the narrative of long working hours, low wage payments, and short term labor contracts that connects the plight of many Filipino workers. As such, it is imperative that we Filipinos unite to put the end to ‘endo,’” Abila furthered.

Lastly, Abila enjoined Filipino youth and workers to continue the fight to end labor contractualization and the exploitation of workers through low wages.

Matagumpay na nakapaglunsad ng kampuhan ang mga grupo ng kabataan sa Kagawaran ng Edukasyon sa Lungsod ng Pasig upang igiit na itigil at ibasura ang dagdag pahirap na programang K-12 na nasa yugto na ng implementasyon ng senior high school ngayong taon. Tinatayang nasa 600,000 ang ‘di makakapasok sa Grade 11 dahil sa mga kapalpakan ng kagawaran at ng rehimeng Aquino. Larawan mula sa Anakbayan.

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