After IMPRISONMENT:
FREEDOM and VICTORY
FREEDOM and VICTORY
Last March 19, we sought students venting off anger through the chairs being thrown and burned, followed by protests in Diliman where they pushed and pulled its steel gates forcibly followed by throwing paint bombs in it. All was full of agitation, until...
Five students, leaders who fought against the tuition hike, were arrested by the Manila Police District last March 24, and formally given charges last March 25 201O. These students were charged of robbery with threat and intimidation.
But then,
Despite all the allegations, all in connected to the increase proposal made by the reactionary leaning administration, more students, parents, and even personalities like presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, voiced out their criticism all against that said increase and includes the arrest of five students who were simply trying to voice out their opinions outside the office of Commission on Higher Education in Diliman through the burnt and thrown chairs of the institution intended to be bought out and be called as an evidence of student anger towards that said increase. As well as CHED Commissioner Angeles, who in fact saving his face in front of angry students, clearly declared that "no tuition hike will be approved or implemented in PUP."
And on March 29, after continuous clamor of the studentry, both for the freedom of five students and of scrapping the tuition hike proposal, Dante Guevarra, the reactionary-leaning representative of the PUP administration, eventually gave up his fight instead of pushing through just to save his face in front of people opposing him and his proposal, as well as dropped charges against the 5 imprisoned student leaders who opposed his proposal.
And the rest is history, wherein the scholars of the people gain victory over those who tried to curtail student's rights and minimizing welfare.
Well...
Despite having PUP's or rather say Guevarra's TOFI proposal being scrapped by the Board of Regents last Monday, it doesn't mean that the battle for free education stops-but rather intensifies the people's clamor for it, as Kabataan Partylist's Raymond "Mong" Palatino said:
“We welcome Chairman Angeles’ announcements but students also promise to remain vigilant."
therefore,
We must continue fighting!
