CSC president: Bring grievances to student councils

CENTRAL Student Council (CSC) President Janela Love Nartates has reiterated the role of student councils, urging Thomasians to address their grievances to University-wide and colleged-based council officers.

“I urge you as responsible Thomasian students, that if you have grievances, problems and concerns, you can always go directly to your respective student councils and to the CSC,” Nartates said in her State of the Council Address last Feb. 11.

“Ipinapangako po namin at ipinapangako ko po, basta nasa tama at estudyante ka ng UST, ipaglalaban kita, kapalit man ng posisyon ko,” she added.

Nartates defended the CSC from criticisms of ineffective leadership and lack of accomplishments that it had drawn in the past months.

“To all who criticized the council, we cherish you and we respect you. We take your criticisms, comments and grievances as a challenge for us to serve better,” she said.

Forgive Marcos

Nartates said the CSC has forgiven the late president Ferdinand Marcos, whose shock hero’s interment at the Libingan ng mga Bayani last November led to a series of protests.

But Nartates said the council will “never forget the atrocities of Martial Law.”

READ: Black Friday protest condemns Marcos burial

“Yes, the Central Student Council has forgiven the Marcoses, but as part of the Royal and Pontifical Catholic University, and as seekers and the defenders of truth, we will never forget the atrocities during the Martial Law period wherein blood was shed because of oppression and injustice during that era,” she said.

READ: Thomasians not apathetic on Marcos burial

Plagiarism allegations

Nartates also responded to allegations on social media that the CSC had copied parts of its statement from that of the Political Science Forum, which condemned the incident of alleged victim-blaming involving a College of Fine Arts and Design junior.

READ: CSC slams campus sexual harassment, victim-blaming

“Naniniwala po kaming wala kaming intensiyon na mag-plagiarize ng kahit anong statement ng Thomasians. Also, hindi ba mas nakakatuwa na Thomasians think the same and we have the same stand?” Nartates said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

She said the CSC officials were unable to read the Political Science Forum’s statement prior to the publication of its own statement.

“We always have a meeting before we post a statement on social media kasi it’s very crucial, [s]o we always go through that process before we post anything,” Nartates said.

Nartates said the CSC and the Political Science Forum were set to meet on Monday to discuss the matter.