18/09/2026
𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐦 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏, 𝐬. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲
A university must remain a place where students can think critically, express dissent, engage in public discussion, and participate meaningfully in university life. The exercise of administrative authority must not unnecessarily restrict these spaces or discourage legitimate criticism of university policies and decisions.
As Student Regent representing the student body in the Board of Regents of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), and as ex-officio President of the UEP Federation of Student Councils (FSC), I stand with the University Student Council (USC), The Pillar, campus student leaders, the student body, and affected members of the university community in calling for accountability regarding the implementation of Memorandum No. 1, s. 2026.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫’𝐬 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬 𝐮𝐄𝐏𝐢𝐜: 𝐋𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. These actions warrant a clear explanation from the university administration, particularly on the authority invoked, the procedures followed, and the standards applied in making and implementing these decisions.
Consistent with the applicable provisions of Republic Act No. 8292, the UEP FSC Constitution, and other governing university policies, I will undertake the following measures:
1. I will submit formal petitions to the BOR seeking:
i. A review of the issuance and implementation of Memorandum No. 1, s. 2026, including its legal and institutional basis;
ii. Appropriate financial assistance or other relief for student operators and affected campus vendors who incurred documented losses as a result of the abrupt cancellation of the activity;
iii. An independent administrative inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the security arrangements and deployment of police personnel within university grounds; and
iv. Appropriate safeguards against retaliatory or punitive administrative action arising solely from the peaceful exercise of legitimate student expression, journalism, organizing, and participation.
2. In close collaboration with the USC Main Campus Executive Committee, I will request and consolidate relevant documentation, including documented financial losses, incident reports, communications, and affidavits, for appropriate submission to the Board of Regents.
3. I will engage the other sectoral representatives in the Board of Regents, including the Faculty Regent and Alumni Regent, on matters concerning student participation, academic freedom, freedom of expression, and the proper exercise of administrative authority within the university.
4. I will formally request the Office of the University President to convene an open, multi-stakeholder town hall on House Bill No. 9414 and House Bill No. 9861, with transparent, genuine, representative, and meaningful participation from students, faculty, non-teaching personnel, alumni, and other members of the university community. Matters of institutional importance should be discussed through genuine consultation and not solely through unilateral administrative briefings.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲. An activity may be stopped and a banner may be removed but these actions do not remove the underlying questions about student rights, campus press freedom, institutional accountability, and the proper limits of administrative authority.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰. Further details on this Open Student Consultation will be released in a separate notice.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. As Student Regent, I will continue to bring the concerns of the students before the proper university bodies and to uphold our right to be heard.
ALPHA MAE D. MARQUITA
Student Regent
Member, Board of Regents
University of Eastern Philippines
Ex-officio President, UEP Federation of Student Councils
