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Bold defiance.

Defiant young journalists from various student publications in the National Capital Region returned to the Manila Hotel to storm once more the government-led Education Summit as they mark CEGP’s National Day of Action for campus press freedom and students’ democratic rights— notwithstanding the possibility that the violent dispersal yesterday could be repeated.

CEGP National President Jose Cosido disclosed that the young journalists were outraged by the ongoing education summit due to its intentional effort not to address the continuous violations of campus press freedom such as withholding of publication’s funds, grave censorship, closure of student gazettes, harassment and other perennial forms of campus press freedom violations.

Cosido further elucidated that it was the dwindling plight of the education sector that causes the murky situation of the exercise of campus press freedom in the country.

“When a certain student newspaper begins to be critical of the school administration and government policies, the incessant attacks against press freedom follow. This is the miserable condition of the student papers under a commercialized, colonial and fascist educational system,” Cosido lamented.

Moreover, Cosido pointed out that, “Undeniably, the non-inclusion of the major stakeholders in education sector— the teachers and the students made Ms Arroyo’s education summit bogus and illusory. There is nothing for us, the youth, to hope for in this event.”

He reiterated that, “The messages in our placards, streamers and the chants of students, out-of-school youth, and teachers that resonate in the streets are the real issues they should be discussing instead of the president’s illusions of progress in Philippine education.”

Meanwhile, the group fervidly condemned the sadistic dispersal by members of the Manila Police District yesterday that hurt more than 20 individuals and had illegally detained six protestors.

“Clearly, the boorish treatment we received from the police yesterday will not serve as a deterrent. As long as the government, school officials and owners perceive education as commodity, it is our prime duty to be defiant as we can because to be silent is to surrender our rights,” Cosido concluded.

REFERENCE:
Jose Cosido, CEGP National President (Mobile No. 09166246686)
COLLEGE EDITORS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES (CEGP)
Rm 305, National Press Club Bldg., Intramuros, Manila, Philippines
Tele Fax.: 524-3937 | Email: cegpnational@ yahoo.com