False Freedom
Scrutinizing the Campus Journalism Act of 1991
by Jore-Annie Rico
Over the course of Philippine history, campus journalism has established its indispensable worth in the promotion of academic and press freedom. Serving as an avenue for youth representation and involvement in various sectoral and national concerns, campus journalism has mainstreamed the significance of asserting student rights, struggling against anti-student policies and upholding press freedom.
Noted for its uncompromising cogency and staunchness in the publication of socially-inclined articles advancing institutional reforms, the campus press has not failed to voice out perspectives from both the oppressed student body and the masses. As this is the case, student publications have also instilled, among the youths, a deepened sense of social responsibility which consequently became the hallmark of active student participation on pressing national issues.
One pressing issue the campus press faces is that despite the crucial role of campus journalism in the restoration of press freedom, it has been suffering from suppression. Ironically, press freedom has been incessantly violated even with the Philippines being, constitutionally mandated as, a democratic nation attesting to freedom of speech and expression. It is extremely alarming that student publications, although being a self-directed entity, are subjected to the most inauspicious atmosphere of fear and repression in spite of the ratification and implementation of a law over a decade ago.
Revisiting the Campus Journalism Act of 1991
Concurrent with the collapse of Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the presidency of Corazon S. Aquino reopened the portals of democracy and freedom among the Filipino people. Recognizing the importance of campus press in instigating mass movements against the tyranny of the said despot, Republic Act №7079, also known as the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 (CJA of 1991), was ratified by President Aquino to carry out development programs and promote campus journalism in the country.
The Campus Journalism Act of 1991 has presented conclusive provisions which have brought notable achievement in pursuit of campus press freedom. But these achievements did not necessarily translate to the actual prohibition of violations. Nevertheless, the CJA of 1991 reinforces student journalists to effectively practice values such as truth, integrity, and balance. These core values of journalism can never be taught inside the four corners of a classroom rather, it is better taught through substantial social engagement in the form of campus writing.
The CJA of 1991 also mandates the conduct of the annual National Schools Press Conference (NSPC). Hailed as the premier journalism competition on both public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide, NSPC brings forth numerous campus journalists who have excelled in various fields such as news, editorial and feature writing, cartooning, headlining and copy reading, among others. This event, in effect, acts as a catalyst in encouraging student journalists to even hone their writing skills and exceed in their chosen fields.
Apart from the declaration of the regulations on the selection of staff and school publication advisers, CJA of 1991 also acknowledges tax exemptions to donors of school papers. This mechanism allows student publications to have fiscal backing in case of fund deficit, brought about by the supposed hoarding of funds of school administrations.
Probing the Flaws and Fraud
But after a decade of its implementation, the CJA of 1991 has been severely criticized and detested by various student councils and student publication alliances due to its incomprehensive and ineffectual provisos. For one, the CJA of 1991 does not clearly indicate the outsourcing process of student publication funds; thus, legitimizing non-compulsory collection of publication fees. Considered as the “lifeblood” of campus publications, the unavailability of the publication fees hampers the release of school paper. It must be noted that the campus press is an autonomous entity, which denotes that it is controlled, managed and financed by the whole student body. The serious implication of this provision has resorted into closure of school publications due to hoarding of funds of school administration and inadequate funding. The most concrete example of which is the case of the University of San Carlos in Cebu, whose student publication has been closed since 2004.
For another, the law does not require all tertiary institutions in the country to have their own school paper. This proviso incongruously breaches the law’s foremost prerogative: that of promoting and developing campus journalism in every educational institution. Halting campus journalism would not only signify the suppression academic freedom but it would also conceal the anomalous dealings cropping up beyond the campus grounds.
The law also pays no heed to reinstate closed student publications which further bottles up the right of every student to express their disapprobation. Without the campus press, the student body will find it virtually impossible to both convey their opinions and break the status quo established by the erring administrations. Also contributing to the CJA of 1991’s utter inefficacy is the fact that it does not provide penal sanctions to school administrations that interminably violated press freedom. Cases of harassment on student writers, involving inexplicable academic prerequisites, expulsion threats, and blatant censorship, have been on the brink of legal proceedings. Campus journalists who expose the fraudulent schemes of the school administration and the government in their respective school publications are unjustly tagged as “enemies of the state” by state forces, particularly the military, which in turn, put their lives in grave danger despite the so-called protection bestowed upon them by the CJA of 1991.
Amending the Loopholes
The CJA of 1991, however, has not been entirely worthless, even though its provisions were proven to be toothless and ineffective. Hence, it has been subjected to recurrent misconceptions that further prompted violations from various state forces. It is, nonetheless, the duty of the government to assure that the freedom of speech remains an invaluable right of every citizen, more so, of every student writer.
As modernization gives rise to a more advanced technology, the social media has adapted to address the growing needs of the society. Establishing the groundwork of youth interest in the social media, campus journalism has also undergone a major transformation for the past decade. This event consequently brings forth the importance of constitutional amendments. Existing laws, such as those of the CJA of 1991, have provisions that are now considered to be obsolete. The need to revise, then, becomes imperative.
To better uphold the rights and safeguard the welfare of student journalists who are presently on the verge of press freedom violations, the 10th and 11th Congresses had submitted and deliberated the revision of the CJA of 1991, only that the previous bills were found to be focused solely on financial aspects and not on the violations itself. This is finally settled in the 15th Congress, when two party-list representatives endorsed Campus Press Freedom Act. Waging an all-out war against campus press oppression, Kabataan Party-List Representative Raymond V. Palatino and Bayan Muna Party-List Rep. Teddy A. Casiño have authorized House Bill №4287, also known as the Campus Press Freedom Act.
Emphasizing the importance of autonomy, House Bill №4287 enables student publications to be independent of administrative interference on matters such as financial management, editorial board selection and content regulation, among others. The bill also includes the provision of legal assistance and the conduct of periodic seminars and conferences. House Bill №4287 seeks to provide penal sanctions to abusive school administrators who impose suspension or disqualification of editorial staff without due process. This is to be done in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education Department of Education and Technical Skills and Development Authority.
Concomitant with the legitimization of the Campus Press Freedom Act, student journalists are given full-fledged protection to write without an iota of fear. It utterly enables them to contribute in the process of nation-building. It must be considered that campus press empowerment is a vital aspect of social development; given the fact young bloods composed the majority of the population.
As campus journalists strive to transcend the shift from being mere youth representatives to becoming crucial instruments of reform and progress, the Campus Press Freedom Act bestows upon them both power and purpose. Most importantly, Campus Press Freedom Act precludes the occurrence of further press violations. The most brutal carnage ever occurred in the history of Philippine journalism, the Maguindanao massacre, serves as an insistent reminder to the government that the nation cannot anymore afford to lose lives. Unless this House Bill is enacted, the government commits no public assurance that the series of journalistic bloodbath would not ever happen again.
Philippine campus journalism is still undergoing a revolution whose end cannot be predicted. Yet, one point remains certain: the unrelenting attempts to restrict publication through oppressive administration and its authoritarian policies, involving stern financial measures, will never suppress the will of young writers to expose the faults and frauds behind every irregularity. The pivotal role of campus journalists is not only confined to the fact that they are youth representatives promulgating the stance and perspectives of the studentry. Their invaluable participation in the country’s socio-political setup can already be regarded as a milestone in letting the voice of the masses reign over the influence of the ruling few.
As Iskolar ng Bayan, it is a collective responsibility to safeguard the medium of democracy through struggling for a genuine press freedom. What people speak of today as freedom of speech would never concretely manifest the democratization of rights unless the government would push for the ratification of Campus Press Freedom Act which would not only appeal for the further promotion of campus journalism but would also defy press freedom violations.
This article was first published in The Manila Collegian Vol. 25 Issue №3, July 11, 2011.
