Statement from the UPLB CAS Chairperson

It is pure sacrilege.

In an assembly of leaders with the assumption of unbiased ruling, we have to remember two things. First, any assembly with such inclinations should be governed by strict and collegial rules. Strict, meaning no one is above the rules and everyone understands they are governed by such rules. When violations are made against the house rules and the universal rules of order in the parliamentary procedures, the assumption is that the leader should side with the rules and not with just some people, even though the leader himself leans otherwise. Strict, meaning sanctions are clear and everyone understands the consequences of their actions. Strict, meaning such rules can not be bent in accordance to some people, no matter if he/she is the leader of the assembly. Secondly, being collegial is defined as being mutually respectful. It is not defined as being lenient to the governing rules of the body. Because implications of such is disastrous to the assembly. Another definition of collegiality is connected with friendship. Being hostile with rules or with people is the exact antonym of the word.

With these, I, with some members of the College of Arts and Sciences student council present in the assembly, condemn the blatant acts made by the Student Regent, his secretariat team, and some members of student councils present in the General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC). First is with regards to the violations of the house rules and universal rules of order. Never in the history of the GASC where rules are violated in such a manner. The assembly was supposed to be governed by the universal rules of parliamentary procedure with their very own drafted house rules, but what happened in the assembly was otherwise. Members of different councils, in the effort to maintain order and avoid further delay, stated the rules over and over again, but to no avail. We want to emphasize that these rules are not meant to suppress ideas, but to actually promulgate them in an orderly and arranged manner. I myself warned the Student regent more than once about the implications of not abiding with these rules. The result of his actions was "so-called" history- those of tears, chaos, occasional fistfights, and a lot of slander and contempt. Next, we would like to manifest our disgust to the unruly acts that followed, more specifically to the mob rule that was participated by the Student regent himself, along with his secretariat present. A leader of his stature should never have made such actions to condemn members of the assembly he was leading himself.

Lastly, I believe at the end of it all, the majority has the right overall. This is with the idea that the minority will be heard, properly respected, and their concerns addressed. With proper headcount, we applaud the acts of the majority of the student councils who continued with the assembly amidst all the oppression set upon by the minority. Everyone can attest to the efforts of the majority to convince the presiding officer what has to be done, in accordance to the house rules and overall rules of assembly. I'm in full support of the actions made by the councils who continued with what is supposed to be done. I believe in the legitimacy of the assembly that continued in Teacher's village, including the resolutions they were able to accomplish. This is not coup de etat, because as far as we are concerned, a coup can only be done with the motive of overthrowing the leadership of whoever is in command. One, it is clear that true leadership in the assembly is not in the presiding officer. Two, there were great efforts to actually make the student regent do his job.

In behalf of the majority of the council present in the assembly, I would like to end with this point:

True consensus is never the absence of opposing sides. But it is reached when the minority chose to give way to the real voice of the assembly: the majority. To silence that voice with the concept of unison in ideas is pure contempt. To abstain that voice with the concept of a united body is nothing more than pure sacrilege.


Cordially,

KARL MARX N. CONDE (Sgd)
Council Chairperson


NOTED BY (five out of the seven council members present in the assembly, excluding the chairperson):

JEELA ACEDO (Sgd)
Vice- chairperson

EDMOUND MAGALLANES (Sgd)
Councilor

KRISTAL VACARIZAS (Sgd)
Councilor

JOMEL VILLAR (Sgd)
Councilor

SUNSHINE SALGADO (Sgd)
College Representative