March 15, 2018

The series of unfortunate events

While others sleep, some show support through giving blankets and food to those who stay at De Verrekijker (DV) to defend academic freedom. The women against imperialism event held at DV last February 27 sparked intrigue and series of accusation against DV collective and the organizers of the said event, calling the speaker a terrorist and threat to the whole university.

Students, youth and young professionals both from inside and outside the university have shown solidarity with DV by sleeping inside the autonomous space. DV has huisvrede, legal rights over access and occupation and space. Eviction is illegal without an order from the judge. As early as February 28, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) issued an eviction notice to the collective.

On the 14th of March, 2018, DV received another eviction notice from the university lawyer to vacate the DV by April 3, disregarding the request of DV to have an open dialogue with the VU management.

‘DV from now on is closed!’ is what the security told one of the DV members when the said member saw four security guards and maintenance in front of DV by 8:45 am of March 15 and forbid anyone from going inside. The maintenance was seen tearing down the locks and have cut down the electricity. The space has the status of autonomous and is being maintained by students.

Two more DV members arrived by 10 am and have been blocked by the security guards resulting to physical assault. These are security guards of the university and not police, the action committed is illegal and a clear violation to the rights of the DV members. Two university professors were also physically assaulted when they came to show solidarity. Once the door of DV was opened, the two DV members and two professors followed the security guards and maintenance inside. The guards was forcing the four to leave the place and one of the university professors was threatened with a screwdriver on the face. By 10:45, the security guards and maintenance left the place.

Defend Academic Freedom!

The paradox of freedom is evident at (VU) as the fight to defend academic freedom intensifies.

The limitation of academic freedom falls under the tolerance and policies of the university’s stakeholders. Academy has no freedom in the times of capitalism, what it has is a control of information flowing from professors to the students, so that our generation would turn into technocrats; heirs to the oppressive system and make believe freedom. Education, from basic to university level is a business and the citizens are the commodity and machinery to the oppression.

To defend De Verrekijker is to defend academic freedom, not only within the walls of the university but most importantly outside. Academic freedom is freedom of speech, it is a quest and search for truth not only in the letters of the books or inside the university. Not only within the university approved lesson plans but most importantly within the real struggle of the people.

Academic freedom traverse the four suffocating classroom walls; in practice, in openness and acceptance that there is a global socio-political struggle, will we ensure that our youth and students will enable to develop morally and intellectually to serve the people and bring change to the next generation. Academic freedom is an exchange in opinion, researches, collective discussion and dissemination of information. Therefore, it is needless to say that the role of DV within the premises of VU, a neoliberal institution is crucial. DV’s openness and acceptance to progressive ideas is what mirrors the characteristics of the youth, it is the embodiment of academic freedom for it allows the ideas to flow disregarding the religion, race and gender. DV embodies the freedom of thought and expression.

Defend academic freedom! The fight of DV collective is not an isolated case and once it is victorious, it will not only be hailed in the Netherlands. It will start a spark amongst the united youth and academes that academic freedom is free from the scrutiny of the stakeholders and repression of university, free from the intimidation of the authorities. Academic freedom should be boundless especially if it serves for the purpose of changing the oppressive system.

The eviction notice issued by the university shows where it clearly stands; not with it’s students and academes but with it’s stakeholders. Not with the academic freedom that the university should nevertheless be advocate of. It is clear that the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam fears the progressive thinking youth and students. They fear the disturbance in power and political opinion inside and outside the academe.

We call on all the youth, students, professors and young professional to join the fight of De Verrekijker and defend academic freedom. The decision of VU to evict DV is a violation the freedom of thought and expression of the academes and youth.

Academic freedom is only present if it serves the ruling class.

Defend Academic Freedom!

http://www.anakbayan.org/free-education-now-anakbayan-lauds-up-students-for-tactical-victory-warns-up-admin-against-retracting-decision-to-stop-tuition-collection/

Warns UP admin against retracting decision to stop tuition collection

Youth group Anakbayan lauds the students of the University of the Philippines for pushing the university administration to stop tuition and other fees collection in UP Diliman.

This tactical victory is ultimately a product of the students’ long history collective action and unwavering commitment to uphold the Filipino youth and people’s right to education.

In the past days, iskolars ng bayan walked out of their midterm classes in their hundreds in spite of the break in regular classes.

UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan announced last night to a mass of students still gathered in protest at the Quezon Hall after a day-long protest that no tuition and miscellaneous fees shall be collected from UP Diliman students this coming enrolment.

“There will be no tuition collection until government is clear about their plan. They are not clear yet as to how much subsidy there will be: partial or complete, and who will be eligible. Until they clarify we will not collect any amount from students,” said Chancellor Tan.

The UP Presidential Advisory Council has also reportedly recommended the implementation of a no tuition collection policy for the whole UP system.

We call on iskolars ng bayan to not let up the pressure on the UP administration lest it retracts UP Diliman’s decision to stop tuition collection. We warn of massive protests, walkouts, student strikes, barricades, and campus occupations should such treachery takes place.

Whether this measure will push through is now up to the intensified mass struggles of iskolars ng bayan, in concert with the rest of the UP community and the Filipino, to defend this tactical gain.

Free tuition implementation in UP should also serve as a final call for the immediate junking of the deceptive socialized tuition system in UP. This scam has resulted in tuition rates to increase from P40 per unit in 1989 to the current base tuition of P1,500 per unit, which has made UP gravely inaccessible to the poor majority.

The struggle against neoliberal attacks on education that has intensified UP’s role as a privatized profit-making institution and as a producer of cheap semi-skilled and skilled labor for export continues.

Nevertheless, this is one more step towards achieving a truly nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented education. Its full attainment lies in the struggle to transform a rotten ruling system that denies the right to education.

From Tinay Palabay of KARAPATAN

Dear friends,

Military elements in full combat gear conducted operations in nine (9) communities in the mountain areas of Lianga, San Miguel and San Agustin in Surigao del Sur since July 2, 2017. These communities have recently just returned home in September 2016, after spending a year in an evacuation center in Tandag City. Residents witnessed the brutal killing of their leaders on September 1, 2015, which prompted their evacuation. Now, amid martial law and continuing militarization, these indigenous communities are again threatened by military operations.

Join us in condemning the renewed military operations, threats and harassment in indigenous communities. Let us support the demand to junk the Duterte administration’s counterinsurgency program Oplan Kapayapaan, as well as the immediate lifting of martial law in Mindanao.

BACKGROUND OF THE INCIDENT:

On September 1, 2015, MAPASU (Malahutayong Pagkigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod) chairperson Dionel Campos and Kiwagan Datu Juvello Sinzo were brutally killed in front of more than 200 residents of Km. 16 and Han-ayan, Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Residents, teachers, and students were forcibly gathered by composite elements of the 75th Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army (IBPA) and paramilitary group Magahat/Bagani in Km. 16 to witness the execution of their leaders. After killing Campos and Sinzo, paramilitary forces threatened the entire community, saying they will all be massacred if they do not leave. After the military and paramilitary elements left, the dead body of ALCADEV (Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development) executive director Emerito Samarca was found in the faculty guest room of the school compound. The entire incident came to be known as the Lianga massacre.

Following the incident, around 2,700 individuals from twenty-six (26) communities evacuated to Tandag City on the same day. They were only able to return to their communities last September 3, 2016, after strong international and national campaign forcing military elements to withdraw from the communities.

In 2015, trumped up charges of trafficking were filed against eleven (11) Lumad school volunteer teachers and community leaders, while in evacuation.

Since their return, residents of 26 communities have been rebuilding their farms, homes, schools and livelihood. Lumad schools run by TRIFPSS (Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur) and ALCADEV started holding regular classes for the school year 2017-2018 this June.

Upon President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao on May 23, 2017, a checkpoint was placed in front of the military detachment in Post 1, Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga, requiring residents and visitors to show their ID or write their names in a logbook.

ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENTS:

On July 2, 2017, at around 2am, about 60 soldiers of the 75th IBPA in full combat uniform were seen gathered at a detachment in Post 1, Brgy. St. Christine, Lianga, Surigao del Sur. They were later seen going towards the other communities.

On July 3, 2017 at around 6am, the same number of soldiers from the 75th IBPA were seen in Km. 6, Brgy. St. Christine, Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Later that day, more soldiers from the 36th IBPA and 16th Special Forces Battalion (SFB), all in full combat uniform, arrived in the Lumad communities of Hayon and Sangay Brgy. Libas Sud, San Miguel. These communities are located on the other side of the mountain, adjacent to the Lumad communities in Lianga.

On July 4, 2017, soldiers were seen in the communities of Tambonon and Bishop in Brgy. Bolhoon, San Miguel. These two communities are also located on the other side of the mountain, near the Lumad communities of Lianga.

Meanwhile, residents of Emerald in Brgy. Diatagon and Panukmoan saw soldiers in combat jungle uniform in the farm areas of their community, prompting them to evacuate near community centers. Residents of Mike, Km. 16 and Km. 14 evacuated to Han-ayan and stayed in the Lumad schools of TRIFPSS and ALCADEV along with the students and volunteer teachers.

On July 5 to 6, 2017, at around 11 pm to midnight, while the residents slept, bomber planes flew over the said communities, circling about 15 times. Residents from 9 Lumad communities — Han-yan, Mike, Km. 14, Km. 15, Km. 16, Manluy-a, Kabuluhan, Panukmoan and Decoy — all of Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga evacuated to and arrived in Emerald at around 6 o’clock in the morning. The residents, fearing for their lives given the harassment and threats that they have been constantly subjected to, thought it best to move out.

As of this writing, about 2,043 men, women and children are staying in the school grounds and classrooms of the Simowao Tribal Community School, located about 9 kilometers from the national highway and poblacion of Brgy. Diatagon.

Reports of food blockade have also been reported by the teachers, as military checkpoints prevent relief from entering evacuation centers. This is despite the desperate need for food and other assistance for evacuees.