UP faculty members demand resignation of Neri


PRESS RELEASE 13 February 2008 Press con on Valentine's Day: Concerned UP professors demand Neri’s resignation Out of love for country and the truth, concerned faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) are scheduled to hold a press conference on February 14 (Thursday), 10 a.m. on the ground floor of Vinzons Hall at UP Diliman, Quezon City. They are demanding the immediate resignation of Romulo Neri as chair of the Commission on Education (CHED). According to a petition being circulated at UP, Neri “has lost all moral high ground required of a person entrusted with reviving the country’s decaying higher education system,” adding that it is unacceptable for him, “as head of CHED, (to continue) to chair the…Board of Regents, (UP’s) highest policy making body.” As of February 13, 4:00 p.m., 60 UP faculty members from the Diliman, Manila, Los Baños, Baguio, Visayas and Mindanao campuses have signed the online version of the petition located at URL http://www.petitiononline.com/gmabye2/petition.html Among the signatories are National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera and former UP President Francisco Nemenzo, both professor emeriti. The petition for Neri’s resignation started last February 11. The concerned UP faculty members are set to present the “Piso para kay Lozada, Piso para sa Katotohanan!” campaign in the UP campus to help witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, Jr. in his crusade for the truth. Among the highlights of the press conference on February 14 is the symbolic signing of concerned UP faculty members on a “Neri Resign” tarpaulin. .UP faculty members who want to attend the press conference are requested to bring their sablay. Download statement







	Judy Taguiwalo, CSWCD	PRESS STATEMENT 13 February 2008 Neri Resign! Romulo Neri does not deserve to be identified with UP Statement prepared for the press conference on February 14 (Thursday), 10 a.m., Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City We, the concerned faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP), are demanding the immediate resignation of Romulo Neri as chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). It is an embarrassment for us that, as chair of CHED, he also sits as chair of the UP Board of Regents. He does not deserve to be identified with higher education institutions like UP. The celebration of the centennial of the UP carries the slogan "UP, Ang Galing Mo!" All we can say to Neri at this point is "Neri, Ang Gulang Mo!" What lessons, after all, can students and educators get from a CHED chairperson who prefers to "moderate the greed" of those involved in the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project? His decision to be part of the cover-up of the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project does not teach the right values to students. He even had the gall to flaunt his success at "hiding out" to evade the Senate arrest warrant by securing a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court. According to a petition we are circulating at UP, "He has lost all moral high ground required of a person entrusted with reviving the country's decaying higher education system." As of February 13 – or only two days after we finalized it – several UP faculty members from the Diliman, Manila, Los Baños, Baguio, Visayas and Mindanao campuses have already signed the online version of the petition located at URL http://www.petitiononline.com/gmabye2/petition.html. Among the signatories are National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera and former UP President Francisco Nemenzo, both professor emeriti. More are expected to sign in the following days. In the days and months to come, we can expect the groundswell of support for a worthy initiative like this, not only from the faculty but also from the entire UP community. That we are launching it on the occasion of Valentine's Day shows that, in our call for Neri's resignation as chair of CHED, we are professing our love not only for our country, but also for the truth. For details, please contact Prof. Danilo Arao (UP Department of Journalism) at (0917) 833-ARAO. Download statement

Former CSSP Dean Coni Paz

	Sarah Raymundo, CSSP

Noli Anoos, All UP Workers Union


Former CAL Dean Rose Torres Yu	Harry Roque, Law




Symbolic signing of concerned UP faculty members on a “Neri Resign” tarpaulin.▼






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	▲Guy Claudio, UCWS director ◄Natsy Verceles, CSWD; former Dean Rose Torres Yu ▼Bomen Guillermo, CAL

Former NEDA director Romulo Neri heads the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and sits as chairman of the UP Board of Regents, two bodies that bear directly on the education of the youth. But he is embroiled in the corruption that enveloped the NBN-ZTE broadband project. Cover-up and moderating greed are not really good values to teach the youth. Yet he clings to his post -- following the example of his president -- and pretends he still has the moral high ground to preside over a board of regents meeting with the education of the youth in the agenda. That is why concerned UP faculty members, acting independently of a still silent UP officialdom, have set into motion initial steps to compel his resignation.