In commemoration of the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, the Truth Seekers Society (TSS), in collaboration with the University Supreme Student Council (USSC) Baybay, held an event on September 21 at the VSU Amphitheater to create dialogue on the historical implications of the 1972 proclamation and its continuing relevance to students.
The event gathered Viscans, organization advisers, and invited speakers who discussed the experiences during Martial Law, student governance, socio-political issues, updates to the Student Handbook, red-tagging, and attacks against journalists.
Amaranth Executive Editor Jennifer Pading highlighted in her speech, the need to take press freedom seriously following the September 17 incident involving The Pillar publication of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), after security personnel removed its banner calling for action on House Bills 9414 and 9861 designed to formally revise the university’s charter.
Pading voiced that the threats do not always begin with the closure of a newsroom, but can start with acts of censorship, urging campus journalists and students alike to remain critical most especially of their own institutions while carrying the responsibility to remain accountable to the truth.
“Hindi natin kailangang hintayin ang pagsasara ng isang buong newsroom bago natin seryosohin ang press freedom. Kasi kung nangyayari ito sa The Pillar ngayon, walang kasiguraduhan na hindi ito mangyari sa ibang publikasyon,” Pading said.
Furthermore, Pading underscored that press freedom is not a privilege bestowed by those in power, but a democratic space that belongs to and must be continually defended by the people, with the campus press serving as an integral part of that space.
Building on the discussion, VSU Student Regent Hon. Kyle Ambid highlighted the proposed inclusion of red-tagging as a serious offense in the VSU Student Handbook, along with mechanisms for students facing such threats to seek protection.
“We should not be complacent because we have recommended this [red-tagging policy]. The work even continues until this is passed to the Board of Regents, until no student here has to fear a label for simply telling the truth,” Ambid added.
Ambid also stressed the university’s responsibility to protect journalism and the students who practice it, asserting that a university committed to seeking truth cannot allow its students to be punished for doing so and that it is a right that does not require permission.
Moreover, the dialogue underscored the role of students in understanding historical events, participating in university governance, and exercising their rights to expression
The event concluded where participants lit candles and sang “Bayan Ko” followed by a collective chant where they voiced calls for the protection of democratic rights and the recognition of lessons from the country’s history.