League of Filipino Students-UPLB
 June 01, 2012

On the Prolonged Proclamation of USC Chairperson-elect Ynik Ante

UP LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA – Academic year 2012-2013 will start in just a few days yet there is still no University Student Council (USC) chairperson proclaimed. We have witnessed last February until March how UPLB students demanded the proclamation of Ynik Ante when the Central Electoral Board “proclaimed” Joyce Divino, the candidate who got the second highest number of votes. (Note: for the full details, we have included references at the end of this article.)

The position is indeed one with utmost importance for student autonomy. The USC chairperson together with the rest of the members of the USC represents the whole UPLB studentry. Without the USC chairperson the USC cannot function at its most efficient and effective manner.

Thus, the League of Filipino Students-UPLB together with Samahan ng Kabataan Para sa Bayan (SAKBAYAN), and all others who uphold the sanctity of the UPLB electorate call upon the Central Electoral Board and the Office of the UPLB Chancellor to proclaim Ynik Ante as our UPLB-USC chairperson.

UPHOLD THE VOICE OF THE UPLB ELECTORATE!
 DEFEND THE SANCTITY OF OUR VOTES!
 PROCLAIM YNIK ANTE AS OUR USC CHAIRPERSON NOW!

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Here are some related articles:
Electoral board bars proclamation of new UPLB USC chair (Philippine Collegian)
Ynik Ante is the legitimate UPLB USC chairperson-elect (Terry Ridon)
Si Ynik Ante ang ating USC Chairperson (UPLB Development Communicators’ Society)
UPLB refuses to proclaim elected student council chair for failure to pay tuition dues (SAKBAYAN)
ABS-CBN ST Headline: Nanalong USC Chairperson ng UPLB Ynik Ante (ABS-CBN Southern Tagalog)
Nanalong UPLB Student Council chairperson, hindi ipinroklama dahil late daw nagbayad ng matrikula (GMA News)

PROCLAIM ANTE NOW!

The issue of the University Student Council (USC) chairpersonship – a pressing issue among Iskolar ng Bayan as the question whether it will be Ynik Ante (SAKBAYAN) or Marion Joyce Divino (Buklod) who will serve as chairperson becomes a prevalent subject of conversation in the campus.

Automated election results show that Ante (with 1479 votes, 36 votes more than Divino) is the clear winner for this year’s USC-CSC elections. However, during the February 29 Central Electoral Board (CEB) meeting, the CEB – the supposed body only mandated to formulate the election code and proclaim the winners of the elections – erroneously decided to proclaim Divino as the chairperson for the lame reason of Ante’s late tuition payment, that she is not a bona fide student of the university; the body argued that Ante did not follow the agreements stated in her promissory note signed by the Vice Chancellor for Instruction. Yet, Ante was able to pay on the same day (February 29) as the deadline stated on her promissory note. Chancellor Cruz also attested that there should not be a problem of being a bona fide student on the basis of financial incapacity or problems.

We condemn this act of the CEB and their initial act to try to disqualify Ante of her candidacy during the start of the USC-CSC elections.

We, the League of Filipino Students UPLB along with all Iskolar ng Bayan who believe in and uphold the integrity of the students’ elections call on the CEB to reconvene as soon as possible and proclaim Ynik Ante as the real USC chairperson-elect. We also call for Ms. Divino to voluntarily concede and respect the decision of the electorate – that the electorate chose Ante as our USC chairperson.

Official Statement on the Detention of the UPLB 5
June 21, 2011

June 19, 2011 marks the 150th birthday of our national hero Jose Rizal. On the same day, president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III attended the inauguration of the tallest Jose Rizal monument in The Plaza in front of the city hall of Calamba, Laguna. During the said event, five students from the KABATAAN Partylist – UP Los Baños chapter together with two men from ANAKPAWIS Partylist – Southern were seized by around 25 Presidential Security Guards and local policemen as they showed the Southern Tagalog youth and people’s disgust on Aquino’s administration. The militants chanted “Walang pagbabago sa ilalim ni Aquino!”, “Edukasyon karapatan ng mamamayan!” and “Tunay na reporma sa lupa, ipaglaban!”

The League of Filipino Students-UPLB is giving its utmost gratitude and support to the UPLB 5 for their courage and strong adherence to fight for the right of the Filipino youth to education. The LFS-UPLB is praising Bhen Aguihon, Ynik Ante, Cathy Gigantone, Mikel Mozo, and Ruffa Solano for their militancy during Aquino’s visit in Calamba; they registered Southern Tagalog’s abhorrence for the anti-people policies of the Aquino administration and loudly chanted our call for the Filipino youth’s right to education.

The LFS-UPLB is condemning the state and the Aquino regime for its use of fascism to repress the freedom of expression of the seven militants and of all protesters in general. Because of several budget cuts in education which pushes to state abandonment in education, it is our right to show dissent to the Philippine government. However, the reactionary government of Aquino, just like Arroyo’s administration, is using fascism to repress the progressive and militant individuals and groups. The case of the UPLB 5 and Calamba 7 is one of the many cases of political detainees and prisoners in the Philippines.

That is why we are inviting all Iskolar ng Bayan to join our protest and be in unity as we assert for the immediate release of the UPLB 5, the Calamba 7, and of all political prisoners and detainees. It is time to take action, fellow Iskolar ng Bayan! We cannot let the state and the administration continue its use of fascism and repression to prevent us in fighting for our democratic and political rights!

FREE THE UPLB 5!
FREE THE CALAMBA 7!
FREE ALL POLITICAL DETAINEES AND PRISONERS!
STOP STATE FASCISM!
DOWN WITH THE AQUINO REGIME!