The Legislative Assembly (LA) unanimously approved a bill that will penalize contradictions to the University Student Government (USG) constitution and passed the USG Code of Penalized Acts during its seventh special session held last Wednesday, September 14.
Chief Legislator Francis Loja also announced that succeeding LA sessions will revert to a face-to-face setup after two years of video conferences.
Unconstitutional materials prohibited
As FAST2018 Batch Legislator Jericho Jude Quiro presented, the Unconstitutional Materials and Statements Act of 2022 aims to penalize and ban materials or statements that are against the principles of the USG constitution, such as those that threaten to harm the students.
The act also aims to prevent remarks that feature remarks that glorify human rights abuses and red-tagging. This is to ensure that both the USG and the University remain as safe spaces for dialogue and discourse.
USG Code of Penalized Acts gets approval
The USG Code of Penalized Acts is the “USG version of the Philippine Revised Penal Code,” Quiro told The LaSallian. The 45-page legislation aims to serve as a deterrent for potential violators and a basis for ensuring accountability from USG officers. The document has been sent to the chief legislator for publication.
Preparing for in-person sessions
In coordination with the Office of Student Leadership Involvement, Formation and Empowerment, USG agreed to utilize the USG Session Hall for the upcoming sessions after deciding to transition out of the online set-up.
Loja highlighted that USG officers, Student Media Groups, and other attendees must abide by the designated health protocols to ensure safety during the meetings.
