4
BALITA
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013
Court defers decision on bail for Karen-She abductors Jul Mar Esteban On June 26, 2006, UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan were abducted while doing research and community work in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Seven years hence, the mothers of Karen and She are still searching for their missing daughters. In the latest hearing of the case on June 24, two days before the seventh anniversary of Karen and Sherlyn’s abduction, the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14 postponed its decision on the bail petitions of two suspects who are currently in custody at the army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio. The court will make a decision on the separate petitions of accused soldiers Col. Felipe Anotado Jr. and Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, on its next hearings on September 2 and October 7, respectively. The two other accused, Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. and Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario are still at large, despite warrants of arrest issued in December 2011 and a P2-million bounty on Palparan.
Linda Cadapan, the mother of Sherlyn, is confident however that the court will junk the suspects’ petitions. “Isa sa mga witness namin, na ikinulong kasama nina Karen at She, ang nakita si Anotado doon sa lugar kung saan sila ikinulong. Ang isa pa naming witness ay nakita si Osorio sa mga dumukot sa dalawa,” said Mrs. Cadapan. The court also heard the testimony of a new prosecution witness during the same hearing. Farmer William Ramos, who affirmed details of an affidavit submitted to the court, said he lives near the house where Karen and She were abducted in 2006. He saw the two being dragged out of the house they were staying in, Ramos added. “Nang makita ng mga sundalo na nakita sila ni Ramos ay pinababa [rin] siya mula sa kanyang bahay, pinadapa, at piniringan,” said Mrs. Cadapan. Karen, a Sociology major, and Cadapan, a Sports Science student, were abducted by agents of the 24th Infantry Battalion camp based in Bataan and were subsequently tortured, according
to statements by primary eyewitness Raymond Manalo. Empeño was doing research on the plight of Bulacan farmers, while Cadapan was a community organizer for farmers group Alyansang Magbubukid ng Bulacan. Both were members of militant student groups League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Anakbayan, respectively. “Wala paring nangyayari, parang wina-wash-out yung ebidensya.
Bakit nakakapagpadala tayo ng peacekeepers sa ibang bansa, pero yung sarili nating internal na problema, di masolusyonan?” added Cadapan. To commemorate the anniversary of Karen and She’s disappearance, student and youth groups launched a protest rally in Mendiola and a candle-lighting ceremony at UP Diliman, calling for the release of Empeño, Cadapan and other political prisoners.
“Patuloy parin ang paghahanap sa dalawang estudyante, na wala namang ginagawang masama, na ginagawa lang ang kanilang tungkulin bilang mga iskolar. [Panahon na para] ilitaw sina Karen at She, panagutin sina [dating Pangulong] Gloria [Arroyo] at Palparan, at itulak si [Pangulong] Aquino na itigil ang paniniil [sa mga estudyante at aktibista],” said Issa Baguisi, spokesperson of the LFS. ∞
UP decries UAAP’s new residency rule Klidel Rellin In an effort to prevent the implementation of the two-year ban of the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) for cross-recruited players, UP’s College of Human Kinetics Dean Ronualdo Dizer and Ateneo de Manila University’s (AdMU) athletics director Ricky Palou voted against the policy, believing it to be anti-student. “[The policy] has become a punishment for not choosing your old school,” Dizer said. After a 5-2 vote, the UAAP board added another year to the one-year residency required for cross-recruited and new players. High school varsity members from UAAP-member high schools wishing to play for a different UAAP-member university are to wait for two years before participating in the league. The goal of the new policy is to lessen cross-recruitment among UAAP-member universities and to protect the universities from piracy, said UAAP President Nilo Ocampo. The UAAP is a sport league composed of eight local universities: UP, AdMU, Universitiy of Sto. Tomas (UST), De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, University of the East, National University (NU), and Adamson University.
The new policy allows universities to train their high school varsity within their respective collegiate varsity programs, the UAAP board explained. Being host of the outgoing season, NU abstained from voting. Other universities such as UST and FEU found the policy beneficial in keeping their best players from their high school, explained Dizer. Nevertheless, student-athletes like Dominque Bartolome are affected by the policy. Bartolome played for the UST’s high school swimming team in the past UAAP seasons and is currently a member of UP’s women’s swimming team. “Nawawala ‘yung freedom para pumili ng college. One year [of residency] is okay, but two years is too long,” Bartolome said. Schools hold no written contract with their athletes who should be allowed to transfer to their preferred universities after high school, she added. UST has not given her release waiver yet, even after transferring to UP, she adds. “The policy is selfish, uncaring, insensitive and vindictive,” said Dizer. “We believe that the policy is anti-student-athlete. It contradicts with UAAP’s objective of education and development.” ∞
PADAYON Photo by Jiru Rada
The UP Filipiniana Alumni Dance Troupe showcased a cultural presentation during the Pep Rally held at the CHK Gymnasium on June 24. This year’s pep rally was a sendoff to both the UP Fighting Maroons for the 76th Season of the UAAP and for the UP Filipiniana Alumni Dance Troupe who will participate in an international dance festival.
Law freshies may appeal for refund of reservation fee Franz Christian Irorita Freshman students at Malcolm Hall may now get a refund of their P5,000 slot-reservation fees, but the College of Law administration has yet to issue guidelines on how it can be done. In a June 3 post on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, the Law Student Government (LSG) announced that the college administration agreed to refund the reservation fee following a consultation with the student council. “As per consultation with the dean, freshmen may now apply to the Office of the Dean for a refund of the Php5,000 reservation fee/ donation. Please address all letters to [the dean],” read the LSG’s post.
However, the Law administration has yet to release an official announcement. The Collegian tried to confirm the announcement but the Office of the Dean has yet to respond to the inquiry as of press time. The reservation fee was originally non-refundable as announced in the college’s website on February 20. The official receipts also indicated that the fee would not be refunded. The reservation fee ensures that the slots for incoming freshmen will be filled, said LSG President Louie Camino. However, the P5,000 fee is not included in the official fees that the university acknowledges, said John Paul Rotap, Law representative to the University Student Council. The reservation fee indeed helps determine who will pursue enrolment in the college, but it
defeats its purpose when you refuse to refund it, added Rotap. “Once you continue your enrolment, then you have fulfilled the condition for the fee already. There is no reason for the college to withhold it anymore,” he explained. The fee was first instituted in 2012. It was then readily refundable upon presentation of the students’ registration forms to the Office of the College Secretary. This year, however, the Law administration appropriated the amount collected from the said fee to scholarships, according to acknowledgment receipts received by the freshmen. “I believe the issue is how they didn’t give us a choice,” said a law freshman, who requested anonymity. “It was a forced donation which goes against the essence of generosity.” ∞