OP-ED: The Day After the Disrupted March 24 U.P. Board of Regents Meeting - An Apology - of sorts

Editor's Note: the following apology and the embedded video and graphic above were posted (author unknown) in a Facebook site entitled, a Public Apology from the U.P. Community (http://www.facebook.com/publicapology#!/publicapology?v=app_2347471856). To get the side of the U.P. Administration which is posted on the U.P. System website, please click on: http://up.edu.ph/features.php?i=195

A Public Apology from the UP Community Regarding the Events of March 24, 2010

We are from the University of the Philippines (UP), and on behalf of our dear Board of Regents (BOR), especially the esteemed President Emerlinda Roman, we apologize. Contrary to what the whole nation witnessed on March 24, 2010, not all members of the University are rude, uncouth and disrespectful.

Contrary to what the whole nation witnessed on March 24, 2010, there are some of us who still believe in defending our constitutional rights, in democratic governance, in a leader's polite and steadfast service to her constitutents.

We are sorry that our BOR has acted with such vulgarity as to sow disillusionment, disgust and disunity within the University. We are sorry that this kind of confrontational violence has had to happen, but the actions of the UP administration have left us no choice. It is our greatest shame that UP, the "National University," has set the chilling trend among state universities of railroading unjust tuition increases through the blatant disregard of democratic principles. No carefully-worded statement, no polite dialogue, no humble request has been heeded by President Roman and her colleagues. Instead, they have chosen to rudely disenfranchise the UP community, including its sectoral regents, in order to have their way with the University's policies, leadership and overall thrust. These are embarrassing actions which are highly unbecoming of an Iskolar ng Bayan, and on their behalf, we apologize.

We apologize further for the apathy of those in our ranks who seem to be more concerned with civil gestures rather than the welfare of the people. We are sorry that this culture of misplaced priorities has been allowed to spread among the community, no thanks to President Roman being in the vanguard of such an obscene mindset. We do not apologize, however, for our militant actions; again, we wish to emphasize that the inconsiderate leadership of the Roman administration has left us with no other choice but to confront it head-on.

We are sorry to have sullied a national architectural treasure like Juan Nakpil's Quezon Hall, but the damage is not something a coat of paint and a good scrubbing cannot remedy. The damage President Roman and the BOR have caused to the University, to education, and to the people, however, cannot be so easily repaired. For that, we are truly sorry.