This will be my last update on this topic. I hope someday a book will be published regarding the glorious tradition of the UP Student Council.
By the way, Agony and Resurrection is my Yehey!News holy week editor’s corner.
July 1980: The Education Bill was strongly rejected by the UP Community. Noise barrages, boycotts in the university, and marches to Batasan became frequent in opposition to the bill. On July 24, 1500 students (10 buses) held a rally at the office of MEC protesting the controversial Education Bill. The rally was violently dispersed. UP held an indignation rally the following day in spite of typhoon and suspension of classes.
December 1, 1980: USC chair Mangahas arrested by the military for “subversion.” 2000 students attended the boycott rally on December 4. 90% of students skipped their classes.
August 27, 1981: First ever plebiscite held in the history of UP. 7150 students approved the USC Constitution while only 957 voted against. 241 abstsained.
1981-1984: The National Democrats gained complete hegemony in the USC
January 14, 1982: USC led a mass walkout to commemorate the fake lifting of martial law. 1000 students joined the protest action.
1982-83: The USC revived the Philippinensian, the UP Yearbook.
June 27, 1983: BOR rejected UP President Angara’s recommendation for the appointment of a Student Regent. But it was agreed that a student representative might be allowed to participate in the discussions without voting capacity.
August 23, 1983: Consultations began on the feasibility of raising tuition fees ranging from 50 to 200%.
August 26, 1983: 3000 members of the UP community, including the USC, joined the peace march and prayer rally in protest to the murder of Ninoy Aquino and the continuing violation of human rights.
December 16, 1983: USC Chairperson Leandro Alejandro led 200 students who picketed a CMT Parade as a protest action aimed at the intensifying militarization of Philippine society. They were threatened of suspension for disrupting a university activity.
Summer 1984: Protests escalate when word spread that Tuition fee increase would be imposed at the next schoolyear. Students threatened a no-pay enrollment boycott.
May 8, 1984: Education Minister Jaime C. Laya met with the students at the Palma Hall to convince them about the fairness of tuition fee increase.
June 1984: Students formed the Students’ Coalition against the Rising Cost of Education to spearhead campaign against fee hikes.
June 5, 1984: Students represented by Victor C. Avecilla and Louis C. Biraogo of the College of Law filed a suit in the QC Regional Trial Court just before the registration period contesting the imposition of higher tuition fees. UP was ordered to suspend collection of new rates pending a hearing of the case scheduled for June 15.
June 15, 1984: Judge Luis L. Victor denied the petition of the students and upheld the decision of the BOR to approve higher rates.
July 6, 1984: UP students were the first to march again at Mendiola since 1972. Students were protesting the tuition fee increases in private schools, the low budget for education, IMF-WB meddling in the government, oil price hikes, and the disregard for the students’ democratic rights.
September 20, 1984: The USC led the students in barricading the university in protest to tuition fee increase. They padlocked many academic buildings including Palma Hall. They blocked the roads leading to UP Diliman. It was the first barricade in Diliman after Martial law.
September 27-28 1984: Students planned a more massive barricade to paralyze the operations inside the university. The CSSP created a Crisis Management Committee to deal with the barricades. They held a vigil in Palma hall to avoid the students from disrupting the operations of the university. More than 5000 students formed and attended the human and physical barricades.
November 15-16 1984: Another barricade planned by the students. Entry points were blocked and massive traffic ensued. The barricades failed to disrupt the classes and never received the maximum participation of the students.
August 1985: Tugon Party dislodged SAMASA in the USC as the ruling party. A year later, both parties shared equal seats in the USC.
January 1986: USC urged students to participate in the snap elections, making a call for support to opposition Presidential bet Cory Aquino.
February 17, 1986: Students and faculty met at the AS steps to discuss and plan a localized civil disobedience, and a new kind of education following the rigged snap polls. USC formed the Task Force Civil Disobedience.
February 20, 1986: UP students marched to Malacanang demanding to President Marcos that he immediately vacate the Palace.
November 27, 1986: USC unanimously decided to support the ratification of proposed Constitution by the Aquino government. They also formed Task Force Vigilance (TFV) against the misguided elements in the military and other loyalists who attempted to take control of Channel 7. It was also responsible for the safeguarding of ballots during the February 7 plebiscite.
January 10, 1987: USC Chair Francis Pangilinan announced in a League of College Councils (LCC) meeting at the Faculty Center that he was appointed by President Aquino to be the Student Regent and member of the Board of Regents.
April 1987: USC formally endorsed the senatorial bids of Jose Burgos, Crispin Beltran, Nelia Sancho, Horacio Morales, Romy Capulong, Bernabe Buscayno, Jaime Tadeo, Bobby Tanada, Bobbit Sanchez, Teofisto Guingona, Joey Lina, Butz Aquino, Letty Shahani, Rene Saguisag, Alberto Romulo, and Jovito Salonga.
May 1987: USC Chair and Student Regent Francis Pangilinan resigned from his post as SR to the BOR and called for a postponement of the May 19 elections for the UP Presidency. He criticized the Search Committee for failing to come out with a viable and working procedure of choosing nominees for the UP Post. The BOR, meanwhile rejected the petition signed by 23 Chairmen and Councilors of various UP Councils calling for public hearings in the selection of the 15th UP President.
July 10, 1987: In a GA, the SAMASA decided to “desist from participating in next month’s USC elections and instead direct its efforts to the rebuilding process” of the alliance. SAMASA is the dominant political party in the 80s.
August 20, 1987: The term of the 12th Councilor post was decided by the electoral board to split into two following the tie of Blanche Lopez and Anna York Bondoc for the last Councilor slot.
September 1, 1987: A student assembly was held in the AS Steps in response to the aborted August 28 coup by RAM against the Aquino government. Sampaguita residents marched around the campus to condemn the indiscriminate killing of several civilians during the rebellion.
May 5, 1988: 300 UP students marched to US Embassy to present a manifesto of students calling for the withdrawal of US bases in the country. Student leaders Amante Jimenez, David Celdran and Angelo Jimenez were charged of illegal assembly.
August 1988: SAMASA reconquers USC after a year of non-participation in the elections.
November 1988: More than 500 dormitory residents trooped to Quezon Hall to denounce the implementation of the 32% Dorm Fee increase scheduled for January next year.
November 23, 1988: KASAMA sa UP passed a resolution seeking four student representatives for the four autonomous units in the BOR in an effort to strengthen the student sector representation in the BOR.