(A writeup-critique on the state of the bourgeois leaning campus political parties against the progressives before, during and after elections in UE Recto and Caloocan)
Last time, I, like the others, was sitting in the desk as people, clad in yellow and white went inside. Their faces seemed to be nice, joyish and as if preparing for another "a ok". And as their leader, a curly haired girl, along with her yellow/white kind entered the platform, they started to campaign with promises to be said, and for sure as I expected, a hodge-podge of bourgeois lavishness and of sugar-coated populist thoughts trying to enter our barren minds. Lucky that I know about them-for these people, even they beated us, are still trying to put the progressives down.
Well...
Why did I say so that these people, whom they beated us in two years still trying to beat us, progressives down? These yellow/white people, goes by the name of Kaisa Ka Party Coalition, seemed to be acting as a "pro student" organization, of speaking of LOVE, SWEET and other sugar coated words being said upon to us, these people are just... doing something to counter the people who are against their "overlord's" policies.
But how come these people are trying to do their best to counter the progressives? While in general claiming to present the ideas and tactics of these true “friends of the people” in their platforms and actions, these gentlemen are arch-enemies of progressivism in the ranks of the studentry. So let us take a closer look at these yellow/white people and their counterparts,m their criticism against the known "activists", their ideas and their tactics.
According to their latest "General Program of Action", these people, claiming to be pro student, progressive, patriotic, and whatsoever that seemed copied from us; said:
"...Aiding the need to develop the leadership knack in every student..."
These people somehow tried to do so in speaking these kind of words while at the same time doing their inverse. How? Having the University Student Council office closed for keeps and sometimes acting as warehouse for posters featuring their projects of theirs? Of speaking of "seminars" and "caucuses" that emphasised much on their lavishness, of realities in an apathical perspecive than of realistic realities?
Perhaps,
May I tell you something behind these populist "Kaisa ka" is.
These people, whose majority are coming from the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of the East, are famous for their populist rhetoric and of their intention to grab power from the progressive leaning ones. And according to some information, they are allegedly being founded by a "revisionist" posing as "radical" during the zenith of the National Democratic movement (the progressives) in that said institution, while another tends to say that the coalition was supported by the reactionary's National Youth Commission. But then, whether they are coming from the revisionist camp or from a reactionary, "Kaisa ka" is both a force of reaction and of revisonism, or rather say a "retreatist" posing as "radical".
And since that they pose as "radical", speaking off their words comig from their barren minds, these group really wanted to counter the National Democratic movement very much, first by red baiting, followed by pulling off activists into their ranks. I remmeber one of our friends being joined into their ranks, and thus becoming against us without any reason. I don't know why these people, posing as radicals do so all for the sake of "developing leadership" and other related ideas that seemed still too shallow to say.
And in addition to that,
I notice that these people are seemed to be acting too contented for they think that the entire UE studentry may vote for them, with having handsome personalities, trying hard agitators, of populist suckers and whatsoever that comes amongst their ranks, and as they continue saying off their promises, one of the listeners, a former member of that said group who end up discontented with their policies, rose up and asked the running CAS president about "accountability." And in response? With her stubbornly defensive manner, she spoke of papers, of responses coming from the administrators that she "did very well" in being "accountable."
But then,
As I continue listening to them, they even speak of LOVE and SWEET in their messages, like one of their statements, it spoke of "encouraging students to unite along with the faculty and staff", but behind these lies their intention to ailienate the studentry from the forces of progression and at the same time bannering their concept of apathy and of their "patriotism".
And one of the worst (or rather say best) examples they speak off is their stance regarding Tuition and Other Fee Increases (TOFI), and they said that "they are against TOFI" and yet they speak of "compromise with the administrators" as a means to deal with that said problem. But instead of dealing with it, the problem regarding TOFI remains as it is, as 5% of it makes a student felt a burden into it, affirming the conclusion that education is a previledge and that institution as a corporation with stocks and profit contrary to their statement as a non-profit non-stock organization!
Another is their stance regarding activism.
Activism, according to them must be productive. But how come activism must be productive by studying lessons and obeying? Obedience can be considered a good act, but then it is contrary to free will, which is a part of academic freedom, especially in a university. And how come they say so? Of believing in activism and yet they are passive, or rather say apathetic in the course of human events, especially of perennial problems like Imperialism, Bureaucreat Capitalism and Feudalism that makes the country languish in poverty and indignity? Well... to these people perhaps they may say that the Filipinos are tardy, and the system needs to be focused much on education as an arm of change which is not. Remembering Mars Lago's statement on "student activism", said:
"We are not anti-activism, but we are for the good and benefits of the students and the university."
Well said, but then her statement seemed contrary to the fact that they are doing their own brand of activism which is passive and submissive. As what Jose Maria Sison said in his book, Struggle for National Democracy (translated from the tagalog edition):
"Those who call 'extremist' coming from patriots, who are in fact, moderates, are traitors and aligned; or in some degree, who unthinkingly compromising to those who continue oppressing and exploiting the people."
And thus,
Sison's statement also shows that Kaisa Ka Party Coalition, also known as Kaisa, as well as the other student parties bearing similar instincts, tends to banner themselves as progressives, of acting like but unthinkingly compromising to the exploiters, like of accepting 5% Tuition and Other Fee Increase proposals the university administration wanted.
Another Kaisa-like organization, this time in UE Calookan, also mirrors the similarity, of passivism and of reservation to the four corners of the university. And since that organization, goes by the name of Nagkakaisang Tugon Party Alliance (NTPA), also bannering a hodge-podge of populist thought and allegiance to reactionaries through compromises. And according to their standard bearer (regarding the tution and other fee increase):
"I am against tuition fee increase. The amount that the students are paying is sufficient for the admin to provide the development to their service and also sustain the quality education we needed."
And its stance on education, it also said:
"Education is a right, but it doesn't end there. Education is also a responsibility. We students have the responsibility to make the most of it. Our responsibility is to nurture ourselves not only in academics but also in moral, spiritual, and socio-political that molds us a holistic individual."
But then,
Their stances are just a mere lip service due to the fact that they are trying to counter the progressives, or rather say the National Democrats in UE Caloocan similar to Recto. In case of the Tuition and Other Fee Increases, both Recto and in Caloocan may spoke of "UE is autonomous" to justify that UE has a right to increase its fees!
And in addition to that,
Due to what I have expected, from their lip services during their campaign, their miting de avance, and even to the election proper itself. Their tactics are seemingly too desperate-they are just looking for a position as part of their credentials rather than undertaking their tasks and prospects for the youth-student sector. Like in Calookan, as what Darwin Galbis from the NTPA (the Kaisa's counterpart) said regarding IQUAME accreditiation:
"I believe that Iuame accreditation is good and very helpful to students and the university Through this, Iquame would justify and tell that the university is one of the best institutions in the country that offers quality education to its students. We should not limit ourselves to the idea that Iquame will only results to tuition fee increase because TFI allows a process in it most be the advantage of the students."
How about in Recto? From the lip service of Mars Lago of Kaisa in regards to education?
"Education is indeed an important thing. Together with a great vision, they will be great actors that add up to success. We, in KKPC(Kaisa), value exellence in academics."
And lastly on their stand on Tuiton and Other Fee Increases:
"Nobody wants TFI! We will allow TFI provided that there will be improvement of facilities, increase in professors, and scholarships and other benefits shall be given to the students, so as to compensate the said increase."
To sum these things up,
Their stances are really more into compromising, of emphasisisng much in the four corners of the classroom and of submission to the will of the administrators with their sugar coated messages of "improvement", but then as what we all know UE really gain profit much coming from the increases in tuition fees, discarding UE's profile as a non-stock, non-profit institution and replaced by a Corporation limited to the profiteers who use education as a means to gain profits. And as what I rememeber, UE increased its profits in 2008 and 2009, all of these are due to the 5% increase without any improvement at all! How come these people who spoke of exellence didn't notice these kinds of problems? Are they also didn't notice that the majority of the UE students, both Recto and Caloocan are mostly from the lower classes, that gained reputiation that UE is a school of the common man? A poor man's university? But now, a trying hard exclusive institution?
And for another quotation, coming from Mars Lago (of Kaisa), which seemed contrary to the fact that the economy experienced depression and of increase in poverty rates, of problems in food security, or rather say the problem of the Philippines as a third world country whose emphasis much is "import dependent export oriented"?:
"The economy is striving however, the government, I think is doing its best to save it. But of course, its success will really be dependent on the leaders who will win the 2010 elections."
And due to that said quote, she emphasised much in the Kautskyite, or rather say a social democratic-revisionist leaning like those of elections and thinking that the economy improved. To me, how come the economy improved especially after Ondoy and Pepeng?
Of the financial crises and scandals?
Of the current El Nino phenomenon?
And what shall they do then in response?
Pray?
Study lessons while acting apathetically on realities and contented in the elections and of short term goals and band aid solutions of this rotten state?
It all reminds of the writeup made by Anton Dulce, and said:
"...In his Facebook status yesterday, Bikoy Villanueva said "Here you go again with these illusions of social change through individualism--pay taxes? Clean your backyard? Pray?? Isn’t that what you're supposed to do regardless of any campaign for social change?"
"...A lot of Facebook-ers and bloggers would react (or already have reacted) "What's wrong with that?". Some would argue that before one can change society, one must change individually. Others go even further, and argue that one can only change society on an individual basis. As for finding any arguments to justify Pacquiao pride as a basis for being nationalistic, one has to bring his thinking back to the grade school level."
"...Nowadays, it seems money, DVDs, noses, boobs, vendors' partylist groups, and perjury charges, are not the only things being faked: so is Nationalism..."
And Kaisa Ka Party Coalition in UE Recto, of Nagkakaisang Tugon Party Alliance in UE Caloocan, and even other shallow minded student organizations in other colleges and universities are the examples of what Anton Dulce said.
Well...
To these people, they're just mere scholars who tried to shut their eyes outside while open inside the four corners of the classroom and working to preserve their grades. They may even be cowards, cowards that is, in dealing with the administrators and instead accepting their messages while at the same time opposing the progressives with a hodge-podges of thoughts coming from their barren mindsets, as in the end, the political color of student power will always be red. Warriors, take up the ideological weapon and join hand in hand with the National Democrats, the genuine progressives in the phase of popular struggles in the youth-student sector!
Source:
DAWN vol.61 Issue 26 25 feb. 2010
DAWN vol.62 Issue 27 26 feb. 2010
Struggle for National Democracy by Jose Maria Sison
Ako mismo, Pacquiao: When Reality is made to Conform to Theory, Not the Other Way Around by Anton Dulce
