On the Attempted Bribery in the GASCOfficial statement of SAMASA-PA
9 February 2012 A specter is haunting UPV – the specter of bribery and corruption. All sectors across the UP system that are implicated in this grand conspiracy have hitherto entered into an unholy alliance to exorcise this specter. Who among them have not kept silent or suppressed the facts from the public? Who among them have not denied the charges leveled against them? The SAMASA-PA condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted bribery of a UPV student council representative in exchange for their council’s vote on certain amendments in the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS). Since the controversial General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) was concluded last 20-21 December 2011 here in UPV Miagao, the SAMASA-PA decided to refrain from issuing any statements on the issue out of respect of the calls by the Office of the Student Regent (OSR) to wait for the release of the GASC’s records. Comprehending that our account on this controversial issue may lead to inaccurate information and incomplete understanding without the prior release of the December 2011 GASC minutes, the party alliance, in the interest of genuine transparency, opted to openly declare our views only now that the minutes are out. The GASC is supposed to be convened by all student councils of the UP system twice a year for the purpose of discussing the CRSRS, forging unities on crucial issues, and selecting the next Student Regent which is the lone student representative in the Board of Regents (BOR). The SAMASA-PA is alarmed that petty squabbling, corruption, and other hallmarks of “trapo” politics have tarnished the integrity of the GASC and the university. It is even more shameful that this incident occurred in our very own UPV Miagao. Bribe to Amend The said UPV student council representative courageously exposed to the GASC the attempted bribery by a certain alliance of political parties to her college student council. The said alliance offered a P2,000 cash incentive and the funding of the council’s registration fee and other expenses to the GASC. In exchange, the council must vote for the alliance’s crusade for the following:
The SAMASA-PA opposes these amendments. We believe that a student leader’s academic standing is not an accurate measure of his/her capacity to represent the student body in the BOR. We also believe that the KASAMA sa UP’s historical role in the re-establishment of the OSR in 1987 and its extensive presence in the UP system makes it the most suited formation to ensure maximum student participation in the SR selection. The granting of equal voting powers to all student councils would meanwhile destroy the present proportional voting system which gives 2 votes to autonomous units and 1 vote to regional units respectively. The amendment will put all UP campuses on identical footing regardless of size, population, and number of student councils. This will effectively marginalize the voices of UPV students as opposed to larger campuses like Diliman and Los Baños. Not about the Money The SAMASA-PA finds it disturbing that certain sectors in the university will resort to the most desperate schemes just to further their personal ambitions and self-vested interests. These amendments could have been tackled democratically and rationally in the GASC without resorting to bribery. In the national scene, the Filipino people are actively pushing for the prosecution of former President Gloria Arroyo and Chief Justice Renato Corona for their plunder of government treasury and other monkey business. It is lamentable that the same kind of dirty politics has crept into the university. We support the ongoing investigation process being initiated by the OSR. We call on the UP administration to take immediate steps to file appropriate sanctions against the guilty parties as based on the recommendations of the investigation committee. The SAMASA-PA stands firmly against a “trapo politics” which mistakenly believes that anything can be “effectively changed” or attained through the handing out of money. We commend the UPV student leaders who courageously stood up against such a shameful scheme. Genuine student leaders can never be bought. Genuine principles and service have no price tags. | be involved |