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Chanting together
with other universities, Far Eastern University (FEU) students
joined the call for truth in a Metro-wide noise barrage in
protest of the anomalous $329 million National Broadband Network
(NBN) deal.
The protest, called “Busina para sa katotohanan”, filled half of
Nicanor Reyes street with drum beats along with the students’
voices shouting for “katotohanan” last February 22.
“To let the government know that we are displeased with the
violations, as you can see yung president natin is violative of
our rule of law,” said Arthur Genota, president of Institute of
Law (IL) student council.
He also stated that one purpose of the barrage was to show
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that students have lost trust
and confidence in her leadership.
“We don’t stand for Gloria, this is for the core values of FEU,”
said Dr. Marcon Espino, student coordinator of the Office of the
Student Affairs and Community Services (OSACS) when asked about
the essence of the noise barrage.
“We are not taking any sides but we are taking it from the legal
perspective,” Genota added.
The campaign was organized by the Law Student Government
Coordinating Council, a group of law students from University of
the Philippines (U.P) – Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU),
University of Santo Tomas (UST), University of the East (UE) and
FEU.
In the University, the IL student council, together with Far
Eastern University Central Student Organization (FEUCSO), headed
the recruitment of students for the University-wide protest in
support of the noise barrage all over Metro Manila.
“It’s well participated and I think we have conveyed the message
that the students are not just merely apathetic people but they
could actually stand for what is right,” said Genota when asked
about the success of the barrage.
The activity was attended by OSACS headed by Dean Adelaida
Fronda, student leaders, and students coming from various
institutes.
Tracing the cause
Prior to the noise barrage, law students from U.P. ADMU, UE and
UST , members of the Advocacy for Sustained and Reform (Asar)
movement, attended a meeting with Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada, the
senate’s star witness in the NBN- Zhong Xing Telecommunications
Limited (ZTE) probe at the Malcolm Hall at U.P. Diliman.
After a seven-minute speech, which received praises and
applauses, Lozada rallied college students to join his campaign
in stopping the corrupt system ailing the government.
Lozada said that there was a need for a ‘change in behavior’
among the youth. “Be the change you want to see in the world,”
said Lozada. He also urged the youth to join and be part of the
political situation.
The electronics and communications engineer’s call was hailed
with loud responses from the crowd. The students who marched
around the U.P. Campus chanted “justice, freedom, peace”.
A candle lighting ceremony followed after the meeting. A
simultaneous noise barrage was also heard all over Metro Manila
in the early evening.
The other schools which participated in the barrage include:
Miriam College, Central Colleges of the Philippines,
Technological Institute of the Philippines, and Philippine
School of Business Administration.
Linking from the root
The urgent movement sparked when Lozada disclosed the links of
the government in the aborted NBN deal. The ZTE witness revealed
that Benjamin Abalos, former COMELEC chair, had a conversation
with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, assuring him that Abalos’
proposal for the loan agreement with China’s NBN project was
going to be approved by the National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) headed by Romulo Neri.
The scandal ballooned after Lozada said that before he quit, the
project’s original price was $262 million; however when he
resigned the price increased to $329 million.
The issue was triggered when government officials, who were
accused of abducting Lozada when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport from Hongkong, prevented him from
testifying against public officials’ who are linked to the
broadband scandal.
The ZTE-NBN deal is a controversial $329 million broadband
contract signed by the Philippine and the Chinese governments.
The project was a proposal of the Department of Transportation
and Communication (DoTC) aiming to establish an internet
broadband connection to local government units and government
agencies in the Philippines.
Jane Camille Almasin with reports from John Richard Castillo |
