Last February 15, representatives from various University student groups and administration offices celebrated mass and gathered for a candle-lighting ceremony at the Pearl of Great Price Chapel and at the facade hall of St. La Salle Hall, respectively to uphold human rights and defend democracy.
The vigil, which was organized by the Center of Social Concern and Action (COSCA), was attended by representatives from the Lasallian Pastoral Office, University Student Government, Student Media Council (SMC), Culture and Arts Office (CAO), as well as guests from Rappler, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, and the Democracy and Disinformation Consortium.
Words from the writers
Rappler multimedia reporter Aika Rey spoke during the ceremony, narrating the dramatic events that she caught on camera during Rappler CEO Maria Ressa’s arrest. She relayed the surprise of Rappler staff when plainclothes law enforcement agents stormed their office to serve Ressa’s arrest warrant, and how they had attempted to prevent her from filming the incident.
“Dahil hindi ako tumitigil, ang sinabi niya sakin, ‘Come on, can you please stop doing what you’re doing? If you see our faces on the net, you’ll be sorry. You’ve been warned. We’ll go after you,’” Rey shared.
(Because I was persistent [in filming], he told me, Come on, can you please stop doing what you’re doing? If you see our faces on the net, you’ll be sorry. You’ve been warned. We’ll go after you.’)
The heads of the University’s student media groups delivered their statements as well. Malate Literary Folio’s Nian Sayoc expressed the united sentiment of the SMC in standing with the Lasallian community “in protecting freedom of the press.”
Ang Pahayangang Plaridel Punong Patnugot Samirah Tamayo condemned the actions against Ressa, calling the arrest “gut-churning.” Tamayo reiterated that the newspaper will not cower from attacks on the press, but instead will view these as motivation to continue pursuing news stories. Citing the publication’s motto, she stated, “Mahirap magsulat ngunit kinakailangan.” (It is hard to write, but it is our duty.)
Cara Patalinghog, Editor in Chief of The LaSallian, restated the publication’s editorial published a few hours after Ressa’s arrest, which elaborated on the stretching of legal provisions to provide cause. “The circumstances surrounding Ressa’s arrest are suspicious at best, a threat to press freedom at the least,” she quoted from the piece.
Fighting as one
Bart Guingona of the Democracy and Disinformation Consortium, which he described as a “network of concerned academic and stakeholder institutions,” argued that the arrest is only a small part of a larger assault on democracy. Viewing the fight for democracy as an uphill battle, he declared, “Maraming aaway sa atin, lalong-lalo na sa social media, dahil ang badyet ng gobyerno para sa [Presidential Communications Group] ay 1.41 billion [pesos]. It’s going to be an uphill communications battle. We need every warm body to help us win this war.”
(Many will berate us, especially in social media, because the government’s budget for the [Presidential Communications Group] is P1.41 billion. It’s going to be an uphill communications battle. We need every warm body to help us win this war.)
Student members from CAO, meanwhile, delivered a performance of the song Liwanag sa Dilim, serving as a symbolic focus of the vigil’s call for strength amid the challenge posed against free journalism.
Fritzie De Vera, Vice President for Lasallian Mission, emphasized in an interview with The LaSallian the importance of showing solidarity with regards to pressing issues. “It’s an educating moment for everyone when we gather [and] talk about the issues. That way people are aware of what’s going on [since] part of the advocacy of the University is democracy and human rights,” she explained.
