MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of alumni of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) are calling for an end to campus repression.
The former students, in a statement, said UST, through its Office of Student Affairs (OSA), clearly censored the TomasinoWeb over what they described as a benign photograph of students.
They added that UST’s order to take down the image and threat to dissolve the organization encroaches on the constitutionally enshrined rights of students.
Hundreds of alumni have signed the statement in protest of UST’s move against the online campus media organization.
“The UST administration’s transgressions against TomasinoWeb is definitely not isolated, but part of a systemic problem of campus repression, which they have refused to address and instead have allowed to fester,” they added.
UST is also under fire for allegedly targeting the leader of a campus-based youth artist organization.
Raven Krsiten Racelis, a student from the college of philosophy and chairperson of Panday Sining, said yesterday she received a show cause notice from UST’s student welfare development committee last Monday.
Racelis said she is accused of violating the school’s code of conduct by allegedly joining a cultural organization pushing for democratic rights.
Students have staged demonstrations in protest of the notice against Racelis.