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.
