700 UST alumni sign petition vs campus repression

February 23, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Over 700 University of Santo Tomas alumni yesterday signed a petition calling on the UST administration for accountability and to end campus repression.

In a statement posted on standwithtomasinoweb.com website, Thomasian alumni emphasized the responsibility of an educational community to uphold the life, dignity and freedom of students and other school members.

UST drew flak after its Office of Student Affairs ordered TomasinoWeb, the university’s publication, to take down a photograph of students wearing their Type B uniform.

The alumni said the decision to censor TomasinoWeb and the threat to dissolve the organization “are violations of the students’ constitutional rights.”

“It is an encroachment on the constitutionally enshrined rights of students,” they said.

The alumni said the incident was an indication of a larger problem within UST, stemming from a history of campus repression.

Thomasian alumni said despite calls for reforms, the UST administration has failed to address underlying issues, perpetuating a climate of fear and arbitrary policy enforcement.

They said the uproar surrounding TomasinoWeb’s situation highlights UST’s failure to prioritize and respect students’ rights.

“We assert that there should be no space in the university for people without competence to properly handle organizations, show compassion for the welfare of students and commitment to ensure that UST is a space where students’ democratic rights are protected and upheld,” the petition read.