MEDIA ADVISORY

Sept. 18, 2006

Reference person: Jerrie Abella ( 09063200230, 09214162786 )
News Editor

WHAT: Press conference and protest action for the Philippine Collegian's right to fiscal autonomy

WHEN: September 18, 11:30am
WHERE: Vinzons Hall lobby, UP Diliman campus

Phil. Collegian staff, alumni, UP community slam UP admin for witholding of funds Assert fiscal autonomy, campus press freedom

The Philippine Collegian, UP's official student publication, gathers the support of its alumni and the UP community in asserting for due autonomy in the management of its funds, which the UP administration currently denies.

The UP admin reasons that because they collect the student fund meant for the Collegian, the publication's money fall under the admin and the government's control. By using Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, which is only applicable to government units and not to student publications, the admin insists that they should handle the bidding and selection of the Collegian's printing press. The admin even withholds the funds for the payment of the printing of all the issues released by the Collegian unless its editors comply.

The Collegian slams this as a direct attack on campus press freedom. The management and funds of a student publication should be autonomously handled by the editors and staff, and should be free from any form of admin intervention. The Collegian's funds are paid for by the students, it should never be denied or controlled by the admin.

Press con speakers include:

Karl Fredrick Castro, current Collegian Editor in Chief

Frank Lloyd Tiongson, Chairperson, Solidaridad (UP system-wide alliance of student publications and writers' orgs)

Juan Paolo Alfonso, UP Diliman University Student Council Chairperson

Jose Cosido, National President of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines

Danilo Arao, UP Journalism Professor and former Collegian news editor