Court denies students’ plea on FEU exam row

The Manila Regional Trial Court dismissed yesterday the petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Far Eastern University (FEU) from administering a comprehensive examination on 233 protesting Bachelor of Science in Accountancy students.

The students, through their lawyer J.V. Bautista, earlier asked the court to issue an order that would bar FEU from administering the comprehensive exam on the students, who stressed that they were not covered by the exams which were held yesterday afternoon.

According to the protesting students, the exams, which are likened to a general review of subjects, are required for graduation. However, they stressed that only those students who entered the FEU as freshmen in 1998 are required to take the exams.

"This is only a minor setback. FEU has threatened the students that they will not graduate if they do not take the exams. FEU has repressed the students and is continuing to repress them. This shows the values of the school," said Bautista. The STAR had earlier tried to reach the FEU administration for comment but was barred by its security guards from entering the campus.

Bautista advised the protesting students not to take the comprehensive examination for fear that it would weaken their case against FEU.

"If there was a TRO, it would have vindicated their (students’) position. Unfortunately, the court did not see it their way. I advise them not to take the examination as taking it would mean that they (students) are no longer questioning the position of the school. Taking the exam would weaken the case against FEU. Nonetheless it was just a temporary setback," said Bautista.

In dismissing the petition for TRO, Manila RTC Branch 41 Judge Rodolfo Ponferrada said the petitioners failed to prove that by not taking the exam, they would suffer from material damages.

Kissy Dy, spokesperson for the protesting students, told reporters that taking the comprehensive exam would mean they are recognizing their coverage under the university’s expanded curriculum program which added one more year to the four-year Accountancy course.

"We now have to be watchful. We are fighting a big institution. But even if the court has dismissed our petition for a TRO, we are still not taking the examination," Dy said.

Other protesting students interviewed by The STAR also echoed Dy’s sentiments saying the comprehensive examination was being forced on them.

According to one student who declined to be identified, some FEU staff members have even allegedly launched a telephone brigade last Monday night in a bid to convince the protesting students to take the comprehensive exams yesterday.