THE OUTGOING public relations officer of the Central Student Council (CSC) is aiming for a higher post this year, running for vice president with the goal long sought but never achieved by generations of UST student leaders: passing the Magna Carta for Students.
A document detailing the rights of Thomasians, the Magna Carta is envisioned to complement the UST Student Handbook and serve as the “Bill of Rights” for students.
Despite repeated efforts through the years, however, the document has yet to be approved by the administration.
An initial draft was submitted to then-Rector Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P. in 2004 but its approval was upended by his resignation. Another version was forwarded to the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs in 2016 but was returned to the CSC for revisions.
FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Magna Carta, nasaan na?
This year, legal management sophomore Annie Agon is aiming to break the cycle.
“First po ‘yong passage of the Magna Carta,” said Agon during the “Tagisan,” the mandatory debate for CSC candidates, when asked what key reforms she would prioritize if elected.
“‘Yong pagpapasa po ng Magna Carta is more than just the paperwork, it is more than the table battles and dialogue,” she added. “We need the clamor din po sa pagpapasa ng Magna Carta. Kailangan natin i-ready talaga ‘yong students natin sa pag-clamor and pag-demand sa pagkakaron [nito].”
With a year of experience in the CSC Executive Board, Agon said she believes the council’s research and development committee should go beyond drafting statements and instead focus on educating students.
“Puwede natin i-maximize talaga ‘yong pagkakaroon ng room-to-room discussion and consultation with the students,” the candidate for vice president told the Varsitarian.
“From the consultation with them, [malalaman natin] ano ba ‘yong issues na meron sila and then paano nga ba natin siya ico-consolidate and magkaroon ng actions for it with the students,” she added.
As PRO, Agon was one of only two officials in the CSC, alongside Secretary Meckia Villanueva, both of whom ran unopposed. She pointed to this fact as a sign of declining student engagement due to administration red tape.
“[P]inakamaliit na bagay nga, kailangan pa ng approval, kailangan pa ng checking. Like word [for] word, simple posting lang. Kailangan pa i-approve. So what more pa sa iba pang mga activities and projects ni CSC ay mas malala pa,” Agon said.
“‘Yong sagot is tireless na pakikipag-usap pa rin sa student at tireless na pagbi-build ng relationship with them. And it’s part of political participation na syempre, dala natin ‘yong issues and campaigns nila,” she added.
CSC cha-cha
In her first year in the CSC, Agon said that revising the 22-year-old CSC charter could be a solution to the bureaucracy in UST. She said that if elected, she would push for its amendment.
“This is a given since 2003 pa ‘yong constitution and hindi na siya nag-reflect in this time, at mayroon ding policies doon na hindi rin malinaw and medyo vague. Of course, timely siya especially na sa ngayon may mga gustong ipasa na policy pero napipigilan,” she said.
If this revision pushes through, the CSC will be involved in either passing or revising three major documents: the CSC charter, the Magna Carta for Students, and the UST Students’ Election Code.
Unlike last year, however, Agon will have a full academic year to roll out her initiatives.
“Before, meron naman small steps na na-execute pero na totally executed talaga given the short period of time and mga limitation due to the restrictive admin,” she said.
Voting for the CSC elections began on April 7. The election period will conclude with the proclamation of the new set of CSC officers on April 12. with reports from Amador Denzel M. Teston
