Our second rewind will focus on AKTI-BIGLAAN, a fast-talk portion where parties provide their positions on certain issues on the university, national, and international levels. They are given five options: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Abstain, Agree, Strongly Agree. They are also given 30 seconds to clarify their positions if they feel the need to.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN UP IS AT A GOOD STATE
For both UP ALYANSA and STAND UP, political participation in UP is in a good state. Neither party sought to clarify their answer.
But with the last election having the lowest turnout ever, many students have asked: what is good about the university’s current state of political participation?
VISTAN IS OUR UPD CHANCELLOR
On April 3, after repeatedly moving the selection process and despite broad multi-sectoral support for his opponent incumbent Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, the Board of Regents selected College of Law Dean Carlo Vistan as UP Diliman’s 12th Chancellor. This decision was met with protests as students stormed Quezon Hall in opposition to the move. But is Vistan’s chancellorship legitimate? For UP ALYANSA, it is not. But for STAND UP, the student movement cannot simply reject Vistan, because there is a higher enemy to be opposed.
This question is also dealt with in a latter portion.
STEPHANIE HSU OF EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE SHOULD HAVE WON BEST ACTRESS AT THE OSCARS
Asian American actress Stephanie Hsu failed to win an Oscar for her supporting role in the blockbuster movie Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, with the award instead going to her co-star Jamie Lee Curtis. For many film critics, Hsu deserved the award. Both UP Alyansa and STAND UP thought so, too.Â
THE ICC SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PROBE THE COUNTRY
The International Criminal Court wants to investigate former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, citing overwhelming evidence for state-sponsored extrajudicial killings. Administration apologists claim that this is an affront to national sovereignty, but for progressive groups, an international investigation is necessary, especially when local courts remain under the state’s thumb.
Both parties strongly agree.
UP HAS BEEN DOING ENOUGH TO PROTECT ITS STUDENTS AGAINST RED-TAGGING
Under the Duterte and Marcos administrations, state agents have become even more rabid in labeling UP students as red fighters and justifying all kinds of threats. For years, students have asked for more support amid these cases. Has UP done enough? UP ALYANSA strongly disagreed. STAND UP, on the other hand, took a milder stance, saying that while they recognized the university’s efforts, there was much more to be done.Â
PARLIAMENTARY STRUGGLE, URBAN INSURRECTION, AND ARMED STRUGGLE ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE MODES OF ACTIVISM
Opposition to state abuses comes in many forms: whether debates in Congress or tactical operations in the countryside. For both parties, these are not mutually exclusive. As STAND UP highlighted, while recognizing the need for parliamentary struggle, the armed struggle is “a justified form of struggle” and to deny its validity is to deny the causes that force people to take up arms.
ABOLISHING THE UPCAT WOULD MAKE UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS MORE EQUITABLE
Recent studies, including data cited by former chancellor Fidel Nemenzo during the UPD Chancellorship selection, showed that the UPCAT was not actually a good indicator of college performance, and even had a strong economic advantage for those with privileged backgrounds.
UP ALYANSA agrees with abolishing the UPCAT, while STAND UP strongly agrees.
FORMER VP LENI ROBREDO SHOULD RUN FOR SENATOR IN THE 2025 ELECTIONS
During the 2022 Election, former Vice President Leni Robredo received a broad base of support in UP, with students and faculty alike actively campaigning for her. With midterms coming up, supporters say that Robredo should try for the Senate in 2025. Both parties think so too.
THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD PUNISH STUDENTS WHO USE AI FOR ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
With allegations of students passing off academic works made by Artificial Intelligence as their own, university officials are considering stricter punishments for those caught. UP ALYANSA agrees, while STAND UP disagrees. UP ALYANSA clarified, however, that they recognized the need to ensure access to education so that students do not need to resort to these tools in the first place.
THE ARGUABLE TWO-PARTY DYNAMIC OF UPD CAMPUS POLITICS IS OPTIMAL FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
Without official candidates from KAISA for the third straight election, UP Diliman is essentially stuck with a two-party race once again. Critics say that this is not healthy for campus politics. UP ALYANSA strongly disagreed with the claim that the situation is optimal, saying that more participation is always welcome in an election. STAND UP, despite originally indicating that they agreed, clarified that they raised the wrong placard and wanted more participation as well.
POP UP IS OVERRATED
Pop Up, a food hub along Katipunan Avenue, is a common hangout spot and drinking place for students in the area. But a lot of people — including both parties — seem to think that it is overrated.
THE UP ADMIN HAS BEEN SUFFICIENT IN SUPPORTING OUR CAMPUS PUBLICATIONS
Publications continue to face countless issues from red-tagging to a lack of funding, and they lament a lack of support from the university. Do the parties think that the administration has done enough to support campus journalists? UP Alyansa does not, nor does STAND UP.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (PPPs) ARE GOOD WAYS TO COMPENSATE FOR THE UP BUDGET CUTS
After decades of budget deficits and a recent attempted budget cut, the UP administration is forced to find ways to fund its projects. One of these ways is to use Public-Private Partnerships that, as many student groups have pointed out, undermine the public character of the university. Proponents of commercialization, however, have said that this has been an effective way to compensate for budget cuts.
Both parties disagree. As UP ALYANSA pointed out, these PPPs even absolve the Marcos administration’s disregard for education.
EDCA AND BALIKATAN ARE DETERRENTS AGAINST CHINESE AGGRESSION
From April 12 to 28 this year, over 17,000 troops participated in the largest Balikatan exercise ever. While Washington officials claim that this deters Chinese aggression, progressives point out that this has only stoked Chinese aggression more, with the US using the Philippines as it tries to stifle Chinese growth. Has it really been an effective deterrent? Both parties strongly believe that it has not.
CARS SHOULD BE BANNED IN AREA 2
With the return to the campus this year, many students have complained about a growing sense of car-centrism. This, they say, is particularly seen in Area 2, where food stall-going students have to fight against cars over space in the narrow streets. Many students think that it is time to ban cars in Area 2. Both parties think so as well.
