UST high school paper struggles against censorship

By Jian Zharese Joeis Sanz 
Bulatlat.com

MANILA— The University of Santo Tomas Senior High School (UST SHS) student publication La Stampa was able to assert its independence following a censorship incident.

La Stampa Editor-In-Chief (EIC) Laurice Escuin told Bulatlat that news content, along with the daily postings, will no longer be checked by advisers after a recent meeting with school authorities. 

On August 30, the National Press Freedom Day, La Stampa’s advisers instructed the editors to revise an editorial cartoon symbolizing the fight against censorship. 

The censorship of La Stampa’s material sparked uproar among Thomasian student publications as well as the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP). In a statement, CEGP condemned the censorship, stating, “The rejection of a press freedom-themed cartoon is a blatant act of censorship, stripping student journalists of their editorial independence and exposing the contradictions of institutions that claim to uphold critical thinking while silencing dissenting voices.” 

Moreover, Thomasian student activists held a protest in front of the Frassati Building last Sept. 4 to express their solidarity.

In an online interview, Escuin mentioned that other forms of censorship had occurred even before her term as EIC of La Stampa. “Other threats to La Stampa occurred even before my term as EIC, whether it was direct censorship or demands to redirect a news angle according to their preferences.”

Escuin also explained that their advisers only required intervention for all releases during her term. “Our advisers required us to ask them for approval for all of the pub’s releases. Unfortunately, this was implemented only this publication year, since our seniors used to have the choice of whether or not to seek approval before releasing content.” She also added that the rule only applied to in-photos and flash news as proper news articles still required an adviser’s approval during the previous year. 

Escuin also mentioned that the publication had previously tried to discuss how this rule can affect the timeliness of their releases. However, their advisers only replied that they would try to respond as they are available and that “a five to 15 minutes delay wouldn’t affect our news”. Despite this, the five to 15 minutes timeframe was not met, as replies to approval requests often come in late. 

La Stampa’s EIC clarified that the comment given by UST-SHS Principal Assoc. Prof. Mary Erika  Bolaños regarding the possible legal consequences of their contents didn’t refer to the August 30 publication.   Bolaños mentioned it when the publication tried to request autonomy on its releases, as the publication follows its own ethical guidelines. 

Escuin also stressed that the publication’s adviser did not provide a clear ‘standard’ for what should be published or not. “Our advisers do not have a clear “standard” for what is permitted to publish or not. It solely depends on their judgment on whether a news angle is okay to be shared with the student body.” 

Not an isolated case

The censorship case involving La Stampa is not an isolated incident. In February last year, TomasinoWeb, the official media organization of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), was instructed by the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) to remove a controversial post about 7-Eleven. The post featured students from the College of Information and Computing Sciences (CICS) in their “Type B” uniforms entering the store, which was claimed to be ‘ridiculing’ the students. Additionally, the organization was required to issue a public apology.

This sparked a backlash from alumni and journalist groups in support of TomasinoWeb. The Office for Student Affairs (OSA) issued show-cause orders after a protest against this censorship. As a result, former Kabataan Partylist Representative Raoul Manuel filed House Resolution 1633 to investigate the OSA for its alleged censorship and threats toward TomasinoWeb, as well as other reported violations of student rights within the University. Days later, OSA Director Maria Cecilia Tio Cuison sought a medical leave, never returning to her post and being replaced by Asst. Prof. Jaezamie Ong after nine months.

TomasinoWeb’s censorship issue seemed to be far from resolved, as reports of constraints to its freedom remain. In an article by UST’s The Flame, TomasinoWeb Executive Editor Mary Jade Jadormio revealed that the OSA has issued a directive requiring all members of UST-recognized student organizations,  including TomasinoWeb, to submit a medical certificate and a signed, notarized parental consent for each off-campus activity.

Though the OSA reasoned that this is due to possible dangers during an off-campus event, Jadormio said, “For us, it is such a hassle. What they (OSA) want is that every off-campus activity needs to be filed. I don’t want this because our editorial autonomy and independence are affected.”

Outside UST, campus press freedom violations continue to rise. Recently, former members of The Pillar, the official student publication of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) Main Campus, were red-tagged while covering the relocation of UEP-Laoang students due to issues related to the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) on September 3. 

During this incident, they faced hostility from Arnold Sales, head of the General Services Unit, and Lucio Lim, Jr., the dorm manager. Sales said, “The Pillar in our time was different; it was not to be taken lightly—they were members of the NPA.”

Red-tagging was labeled by the Supreme Court (SC) as a serious threat to a person’s right to life, liberty, or security. 

Continuous fight for campus press freedom

Escuin encouraged fellow campus journalists to hold firmly to their duties. 

Since 2010, more than 1,000 campus press freedom violations (CPFVs) have been recorded by CEGP. These cases are classified into censorship, administrative intervention, withholding or looting of funds, non-mandatory collection of publication fees, expulsion or suspension, harassment, libel, red tagging, and state surveillance. 

Just last year, 206 CPFVs were recorded, with censorship being the most recorded form of violation, both on the ground and online. 

Due to the continuous rise of these violations, CEGP National Spokesperson Brell Lacerna stressed the importance of passing House Bill No. 4172, or the Campus Press Freedom Act, filed by Kabataan and ACT Teachers Partylist last August 28.

“The censorship that happened to La Stampa and the red-tagging case against a student publication in the Philippines necessitate the immediate passage of the Campus Press Freedom Bill in the 20th Congress,” Lacerna said.  Moreover, he explained that the bill aims not just to grant editorial independence and mandatory funding for student publications, but penalties for school administrators who continue to commit campus press freedom violations as well.

He also stated that the attacks on campus journalism within universities reflect the crisis in the Philippines’ education system and the systematic assault on the press worldwide. 

Lacerna further challenged school administrators to address the grievances of the youth and recognize campus publications as vital in spreading the truth within  universities. (AMU, RVO)

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