Ang Pamantasan - History - Year 2000-2005

Year 2000-2005

In 2000, the request for the increase in the publication fee was approved by the PLM Board of Regents. From P17 it became P30. During this time, AP then led by its Editor- in-Chief Isagani V. Abunda II established an 'open communication' with the university administration. According to Abunda, this is just a strategy designed to maximize whatever little opportunities the administration can offer to the publication and the students. Abunda called this move 'confidence-building strategy'. Despite of this, AP remained critical on several issues, particularly anomalies involving the previous administration and the plan during that time to increase the tuition fee for paying students of PLM.

On February 12, 2002, the AP staff and some SSC officers showed opposition to the proposed zero collection policy of a student council presidential candidate Ryan Ponce. This mass action led to a three-day suspension of around 15 students, most members of Bukluran Student Alliance and Sanlakas Youth, who participated in the said rally.

Before the enrolment for the first semester of 2003, AP was informed that the collection of its fees was placed at the last step of enrollment. Dr. Ester D. Jimenez, the then head of the Office of the University Registrar, explained that it was done because the collection of the AP and the SSC fees is not the responsibility of the university administration.

Under Ma. Cecilia D. Villarosa, AP published articles criticizing the administration for its allegedly unfair policies, misuse of funds and harassment on students, among others. These critical write-ups prompted some university officials to file complaints against AP before the students’ affairs office.

The AP staffers again held a rally, wherein all participants wore black. The said protest action, supported by Sanlakas party-list and Fr. Robert Reyes, was called "Black Saturday".

A month later, AP released Issue, a magazine which contained investigative reports on several campus issues. Included in the magazine was the controversial article entitled "The Big Five", which published the personal accounts, assets and liabilities of the five top university officials.

Because of this article, Dr. Virginia N. Santos, vice president for academic affairs, and Jimenez, who was also the head of the office of admissions, filed new complaints against AP.

Days before graduation of the year 2004, the College of Mass Communication dean requested to delete the names of AP editors Villarosa and Celeste J. Boniquit from the list of the graduating students, saying that they failed to comply with the academic requirements for graduation. The council also revoked the degree of Associate Editor Rose Belen M. Manaog. The dismissal was ordered on June 11 and the other staff members were all suspended.

Villarosa and others appealed to other student publications and to the national media. News regarding the expulsion and suspension of the AP writers was published in some newspapers and was able to get some attention from the broadcast media.

The administration immediately answered and denied the validity of AP staffers’ complaints. It released its statement and was published in several newspapers. With that, the issue cooled down.

On June 11, 2004, the AP office was opened without the presence of any of the staff members. According to the administration, it was opened only for safety and security purposes. The doorknob was allegedly replaced and the keys were turned over to the university security group.

A few days later, AP published a special issue that answered all accusations by the administration against them. The issue, which was tabloid-sized, had a big, catchy banner on the front page. The banner reads "Martial Law", obviously implying that there is no more press freedom in PLM.

On July 24, a few weeks after the remaining AP writers were suspended, the Student Publications Committee (SPC) conducted a competitive examination for aspiring AP writers.

Those who passed the written exam and a panel interview constituted the new AP editorial board. Jimboie D. Cordova was named editor in chief but after several months, he resigned.

The student writers who composed the new AP editorial staff were tagged as "administration puppets" by a number of students. These students, who were used to the hard-hitting style of the former AP writers, doubted the integrity and writing style of the new staff members. And while previous AP writers only had problems regarding their relationship with the university administration, the new ones had to bare with the problems brought by distrust, both on the part of the administration and of the students. The staff had difficulty in dealing with university officials and employees apparently because of the latter’s bad impressions on AP considering its recent clash with the administration. On the other hand, students perceive the new staffers as pro-administration because it was the SPC who administered the examination. Recently though, AP has been getting support from the younger student population (composed of freshmen and sophomore students).

Meanwhile, in January 2005, the Manila Regional Trial Court ordered that the degree in mass communication be given to expelled AP editors Villarosa, Boniquit and Manaog.

After several months, Jimboie Cordova resigned. Rommel Lontayao, who was then the Managing Editor of AP, took charge of the student publication.

AP continued to have problems with publishing its issues because of its funds being handled by the administration. An issue then, to be published, must be "endorsed" by the publication’s head adviser Dr. Romeo Barrios, who was also the dean of CMC.

It was because of this problem that the editors and staff realized that the organization must be independent in terms of handling its funds. Like in the previous cases, AP’s call for fiscal autonomy was not immediately heeded.

AP conducted another competitive examination on September 1, 2005 and Lontayao was again chosen as editor in chief of AP.