Diliman Commune

The UP Diliman community has once again condemened the recent acts of President Arroyo with her declaration of Presidential Proclamation 1017. Students and professors walked out of their classes at Palma Hall in protest of PP 1017. Other colleges and even non-teaching personnel from the All UP-Workers Union also joined in.

But the President’s withdrawal of the procalamation today, the UP Diliman community is not expected to stop from pushing for Arroyo’s resignation or ouster. Former UP President Francisco Nemenzo of Laban ng Masa said if they were able to do a Diliman Commune back then in the 70’s, they can very well do it again these days.

When I was in UP, I never joined a single rally. I thought they were all just for show and students would just like to shout “iskolar ng bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban” and see how it feels to be a “militante.” I remember though there was one time when I seriously thought of joining one rally - I think it was an anti-Erap Sona rally. But at the last minute, I changed my mind and just went home since classes were suspended anyway.

And now, the sad thing is that as a reporter, of course, I’m not expected to join rallies and be seen on TV throwing a clenched fist in the air, even if I wanted to. Oh well, we’re expected to be fair and all.

But seeing the students in UP and my former professors as well, the recent warrantless arrests of opposition leaders, and army soldiers camped near ABS-CBN, maybe there’s enough reason now why the President should step down.

For the longest time, my activist housemate would call me apathetic. And yes for the longest time, I believed in GMA. But now that she’s threatening the media, the institution where I belong to, I think it’s now high time to do something. Well, I expect some would say that my going against the President is for selfish reasons.

But then, being objective about it, I’m thinking, is there a better alternative if and when the President resigns or is forcefully ousted from office?