UP students, staff may be excused for Sept 21 activities

MANILA, Philippines – University of the Philippines president Danilo Concepcion announced that UP students and staff may be excused from classes and work on Friday, September 21, if they are joining activities related to the commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

Concepcion made the announcement on Thursday, September 20, in a memorandum addressed to all UP system and constituent university officials, faculty, students, and staff.

“In view of our having proclaimed September 21 as UP Day of Remembrance to celebrate and perpetuate the memory of those who contributed to the resistance against martial law and to the struggle for civil liberties and human rights, I am encouraging all administrators, faculty, students, and staff throughout the system to participate in meaningful and peaceful activities for this purpose on that day in their respective classes,” he said in the memo. 

“While there will be no suspension of work and classes, members of the UP community may be excused from their world or their classes for the duration of the activity (with the exception of personnel engaged in frontline and emergency services),” the UP president added.

Earlier on Monday, September 17, Conception had declared September 21 of every year as a “UP Day of Remembrance” to honor those who fought the Marcos dictatorship. (#NeverAgain: Martial Law stories young people need to hear)

With the “Day of Remembrance,” the UP president had highlighted how the university “both as an institution and through individual efforts of its faculty, students, and staff – stood at the forefront of the resistance to Martial Law.”

Aside from UP, De La Salle University (DLSU) and the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) have released a bold joint statement urging students to remember the dark period of Martial Law. (READ: ADMU, DLSU presidents tell students: Fight attempts to forget Martial Law) 

In the statement signed by ADMU president Father Jose Ramon Villarin and DLSU president Brother Raymundo Suplido, they said students and all young Filipinos must “do all they can to learn the lessons of history.”

The university officials also urged students to be vigilant against efforts to revise Philippine history, and hit groups that “naively” tell the public to move on from Martial Law.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST), for its part, posted a silent 30-second video depicting human rights abuses during martial rule under Marcos.

We stand for respect for human rights.#NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/XyWbih2zM1

— University of Santo Tomas (@UST1611official) September 20, 2018

During Martial Law, many of those who suffered abuses at the hands of government forces were students and school officials. (READ: Young and gone too soon: How martial law took our future) 

The university officials made the move after Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Officer-in-Charge Prospero de Vera III urged university officials to avoid taking political stands.  (CHED: University officials should not take political stand)

“Universities should be a venue for the articulation of different ideologies, different belief systems, but I frown upon university officials who take a political position on issues. Especially those who call for the ouster of the president because that is simply not allowed under existing laws,” De Vera had said in a press briefing on Tuesday, September 18.

Several activities and protests are lined up on Friday around the country to commemorate the declaration of Martial Law 46 years ago. – Rappler.com

News you can use about Martial Law:

• SCHEDULE: 46th Martial Law anniversary protests, activities
• Martial Law 101: Things you should know
• Gone too soon: 7 youth leaders killed under Martial Law
• What’s the issue with Marcos’ World War II ‘medals’ again?
• FALSE: ‘No massacres’ during Martial Law
• #NeverAgain: Martial Law stories young people need to hear
• #AnimatED: Millennial, paano ka apektado ng martial law?