Rallying Hard

I could vividly remember how much effort I gave in the noon of January 15, 2012. We were supposed to have the quiz for a major subject at one o’clock. I prepared. I came to school early, and I reached school – in the hardest way I’ve had imagine – and it is not an exaggeration.

                It was cloudy, but it felt hot. The travel from USM avenue to the campus took longer than anyone would expect. There was heavy traffic. It was caused by the protestors. Nobody could pass the main gate. It was blocked by an angry mob who wants President Antonio Derije to step down.

                Luckily, I was able to ride the tricycle of a friendly driver who did not give up on delivering his passengers to school. He considered other routes to the university. However, the other three gates were also blocked by protestors. At that moment, I wondered. Why are these people here? They were a mix of students, faculty and staff, and some persons of unknown origin. Most of them are not really from the university. What is this rally for, really? They keep on yelling issues against the president, but there is not one concrete and clear reason that they push through. They just keep on saying, “No to corruption,” “President Derije is a crocodile,” “President Derije is a monkey,” and many more.

 And another catch was, they also seemed angry to students who come to school. I am not the only student who was determined to go to class that afternoon, many were. And those students came over the fence just to come in. What did the protestors do? They ran after these students, and the students were threatened. According to one USMian who supported the rallyists, “That is a total turn-off.” They do not know if these students support them in their battle for what they claim to be “the justice,” and they threatened them.

Do not get me wrong. I am not against the rallyists, but it is just not right to put the students in the same hot water with Derije. First of all, I respect the protestors of their right to shout for what they think is wrong. Second, I believe that students who do not rally, also have a right of their own and that’s to be able to have undisrupted classes because they paid for it. And finally, I believe that students who want to go to school must not be used against President Derije. Stop using students to evict the president from his throne, because it shows one desperate act. The rallyists will lose supporters by this. Block the gates at your own expense. Rallyists would get more allies if they were more humane.

The rallying people inside the University of Southern Mindanao march and shout their feelings. It is before the hopeful knot makes lose and before all the issues they face concerning the university president becomes plain unsought history. It just maybe is not in the right time – just weeks before the midterm exam, when every student must be inside the classroom, listing down pointers, and the exam week itself. It had not any bit helpful to the students.

They also are in the wrong places, blocking the gates and disturbing classes. Rallyists must allow students to come to school if they really want to help. They would’ve rallied before the re-appointment. It would’ve helped the decision-makers whether or not to re-appoint the president.

Right now that the president has been re-appointed, as for me, the best thing to do is respect that. If you do not want him, then better think of less harmful ways than to become a hindrance to other people. The parents of these students work hard just to send them to school. Please do not put that to waste

I believe that many students and faculties also support the rallyists. They have a right to decide who they will support. Some are against the rallyists because of the hassle they cause or because they want the president to stay. But behind all these, let us weigh things and set our priorities. Is our priority our studies? Or is it to worry about every issue concerning the university? Of course, these things concern us, but which comes first? Which comes last? Whatever it is that we fight for, let us make sure, we have the chance to win. Let us see, if it would give us something beneficial. Let us analyze at what we will be able to get more. Let us weigh and choose what is more beneficial for us.

Let us not be passive about things. Be analytical. Would you allow anomaly to go on just because you do not want to think too much? Or would you leave classes, fight for the truth, because somebody influenced you and you simply closed your eyes and swallowed it? Whatever decision you make, whatever camp you chose, see to it that you have firm reasons for it, because it would cost you everything.