On 28 November 2016, La Salle University – Ozamiz City (LSU-Ozamiz) issued a memo to its students, faculty, and staff. I re-type the memo and it’s as follows:
The letter was okay, except for the last paragraph.
La Salle University
Ozamiz City
Urgent Actions on the Advocacy for Human Rights
We received a letter from our Auxiliary Visitor, Br. Jose Mari Jimenez FSC, in line with De La Salle Philippines call to take a heroic stance and proclaim our commitment to build a nation that protects human rights.
In line with this, DLSP member schools are to implement the DLSP-Network Programs for Sustaining the advocacy for human rights.
All LSU students, faculty and staff ARE TO WEAR BLACK (tops) every Tuesday, starting tomorrow, November 29th, 2016 until March 2017, to show solidarity with the victims of EJK and Martial Law.
Approved:
(SGD) Ms. Charm Femae L. Mendoza, RGC
Vice-chancellor for Lasallian Mission
After discovering this letter, I wrote a 29 November 2016 post addressed to LSU-Ozamiz:
Dear La Salle University- Ozamiz City,I further discovered the same memo is published on the school’s official website [LSU].
Forcing your students, faculty, and staff to wear black for such a cause is tantamount to usurping their political right to have their own opinion, which goes totally contrary to your purported aim of protecting human rights.
I also find it disconcerting that such a directive comes from a school that's right smack in the middle of the city where Bilibid drug lord Herbert Colanggo -- through his extended family, the Parojinogs -- lorded over (http://bit.ly/2gGYTml).
The actions suggested in the letter would have made a greater impact if your zeal for human rights also applied to those that your druggist local politicians victimized.
Too bad it isn't.
Lovingly Yours,
TP
To which, I replied [FB]:
Come to think of it.. (sic) We aren't doing anything different, teaching anything different.
People put their children in La Salle because they want us to help them to teach their children to be grateful for what God has given them, to think critically and outside the box, to question the status quo when needed, to treat people kindly and respectfully and to fight for truth and the sanctity of life.
That's the very reason why we're wearing black.
That's why we're on the streets.
If you believe that education should not be about truth, justice, kindness and respect, maybe we're not the right school for you.
#MarcosNotAHero
#LiveLoveLaSalle
Dear La Salle University- Ozamiz City,Today is 02 December 2016, and LSU-Ozamiz has yet to issue a statement regarding the matter.
Unless you have your own version of English, saying that your students, faculty, and staff "are to wear black" in line with the #MarcosBurialProtest means they are REQUIRED to wear black.
Contrary to your aim of helping your students "think critically and outside the box", the directive actually forces them to be subservient to authority out of fear of being admonished for having political beliefs that may be incongruent to that of the school administration.
You're lucky because the Anti-discrimination Bill did not pass in the 16th Congress, but "Nulla poena sine lege" doesn't mean it's all good.
When educators believe that they have a monopoly on the truth is the same time an education institution fails its mandate to educate.
I disagree with your claim that you are not doing anything differently.
Many students from De La Salle University - Taft and De La Salle Santiago Zobel School did wear black, but the school only "REQUESTED" them to do so. They did not force their students to do their bidding, unlike what you did to yours. These two sister schools of yours respected their students' right to their own beliefs, something that you failed to do to yours.
Now, if you actually meant "are requested to wear" when you said "are to wear", then maybe that school really isn't the right one for anyone, especially those who want to learn English.
Lovingly Yours,
TP
Things get interesting
But here’s the fun part. A certain Facebook user named “Jarjar Binks” issued an ad hominem-riddled rebuttal to my statement. Well, it’s not a rebuttal per se, because he did not address any of the core issue raised in my letter. Instead, he fixated on the line:“You're lucky because the Anti-discrimination Bill did not pass in the 16th Congress, but "Nulla poena sine lege" doesn't mean it's all good.”
I have a self-imposed policy of not attacking private persons on my Facebook wall (I try my best), but a closer look at Jarjar Binks’ profile shows that his Facebook URL is https://www.facebook.com/noel.alamin.
But as it turns out, "Noel Alamin" is LSU-Ozamiz’ Political Science Program Head, who also happens to possess a law degree [LSU].
Yes, Jarjar Binks a.k.a. Noel Alamin is an LSU-Ozamis school administrator.
Alright, I won’t spare this idiot. THIS WILL BE FUN.
LSU-Ozamiz Prof. Noel Alamin's Rebuttal
Now, here’s the pseudo-rebuttal he wrote [FB]:Dear La Salle University - Ozamiz,
Kindly ask (un)Thinking Pinoy what Anti Discrimination Bill he/she was referring to when he blabbered in his/her FB page that LSU-Ozamis is lucky the Anti Discrimination Bill did not pass during the 16th Congress. And if it is not too much to ask kindly tell him also to cite the particular provision of the bill which would have penalized Lasalle had it been passed into a law.
Did TP mean the Anti Discrimination Bill on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (Sogie)? The Anti Discrimination against Ethnicity? The Anti-Age Discrimination Bill was passed into law May of this year so that`s out of the equation. (un)Thinking Pinoy can`t also be referring to the Comprehensive Anti Discrimination Act of 2016 because it was filed during the 17th Congress, specifically on August 1,2016 and already with the 17th Congress.
So, unless TP thinks that your memo to ur staff and students to wear black is discriminatory against (ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation in which case anyone with half a brain will know otherwise) then there really is no reason for you to stress over comments coming from a troll account who filters inquiry which would expose his idiocy!
I am asking you this because i took the pains of waving my magic wand to make him answer the above mentioned question given my very limited knowledge of law. Pero waley,denelete nya comment ko ng bongang bonga! Muntikan na akong ma intimidate sa latin maxim ni TP to wit: "Nulla Poena Sine Lege"un pala for show lang ang iklavosh!
Hui Thinking Pinoy, don`t me nga!
Lovingly yours,
Jarjar Binks
Oooh, I'm excited!!!
LSU-Ozamiz Prof. Noel Alamin's "Points"
Let’s list the issues in his letter one by one.[1] Which Anti-Discrimination Bill I was talking about.
[2] Which part of that bill is relevant to LSU-Ozamiz’ dress code issue.
[3] On whether "nulla poena sine lege" is just a filler.
[4] On whether I deleted his comment or not.
Now, let me address those issues one by one.
Oh dear. Hindi lang pala English ang issue ng LSU-Ozamis, pati Political Science din yata.
First, which Anti-Discrimination Bill
Alamin asked what Anti-discrimination Bill I was referring to. He further attempted to be cute by attacking strawmen when he mentioned the Anti-Discrimination Bill on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) filed by Senators Hontiveros and Villanueva on 01 August 2016 [Senate]. He also mentioned other bills which are totally irrelevant to political persecution, but I think I’ve already made this point clear. |
| LSU-Ozamis' own PolSci head doesn't know what went on in the Senate |
Professor Alamin, the Anti-Discrimination Bill in question is the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014 [SB 2122] penned by Sen. Bam Aquino and filed on 12 February 2014, or during the 16th Congress [Senate].
The full title of the bill reads:
AN ACT PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF ETHNICITY, RACE, RELIGION OR BELIEF, POLITICAL INCLINATION, SOCIAL CLASS, SEX, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION, CIVIL STATUS, HIV STATUS AND OTHER MEDICAL CONDITION AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFORYes, there’s a part there that says “POLITICAL INCLINATION”.
Political Science Professor Noel Alamin, your ignorance of political events is not my problem, but when your ignorance affects the youth, that’s another story.
Second, the relevant provisions
Given your ignorance of things that you should be familiar with as a law degree holder and as an LSU-Ozamis Political Science Professor, I think it’s safe to say that you still need a bit of spoonfeeding, so let me do that.SB 2122 Section 2(i) states:
“Political inclination” refers to a person's preference with regards to membership or belief in a particular political party, organization or ideology.Now, Section 4 states:
“Discrimination that is indirectly or directly based on the actual or perceived… political inclination… is prohibited.”Now, Section 5(b) states:
“It shall be unlawful to deny a person enjoyment of political… rights based on the grounds referred to Section 4.”At this point, I hope that your brain can already connect the dots. However, because of my reservations about your competence as an educator, let me spell it out for you:
Through its policy of a mandatory anti-Marcos burial dress code, LSU-Ozamiz denies its faculty, students and staff their right to choose their political ideology. This policy infringes on the rights of those who do not (or have decided to cease to) give a shit about the burial, let alone those who may be Pro-Marcos.If you, LSU-Ozamis Political Science Professor Noel Alamin, needs more spoonfeeding, just let me know.
Nietzsche once wrote, "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
I have reservations about your ability to digest that line, so let me water it down a bit:
Mr. Alamin, you do not fight a dictator by being a dictator yourself.
Third, on "Nulla poena sine lege"
Aquino’s SB 2122 didn’t pass in the 16th Congress, LSU-Ozamis cannot be punished for issuing a directive that violates it, in accordance with Nulla poena sine lege (Latin,“No penalty without a law”), which is a basic legal doctrine saying one cannot be punished for something that is not prohibited by law [Dana 2009].And that is exactly why I said LSU-Ozamiz is “lucky because the Anti-discrimination Bill did not pass in the 16th Congress, but "Nulla poena sine lege" doesn't mean it's all good.” That is, just because a law against an act wasn’t enacted doesn’t mean violations of the law are alright.
The Philippine-made ILOVEYOU virus caused over US$8.7 billion in damages worldwide [Gazeta Edukacja]. However, there was no Philippine Law at the time covering this particular type of cybercrime, so the Justice Department dropped charges against programmer Onel de Guzman [NYTimes].
Yes, de Guzman couldn’t be sued, but creating the virus is not ok.
At kung hindi mo pa rin gets, let me restate the point:
Yes, LSU-Ozamiz cannot be sued for violating SB 2122, but dictating political beliefs on students is not ok.
Fourth, on whether I deleted your comment
You further accused me of deleting your comment sans proof that you actually posted one on the Thinking Pinoy Facebook Page. Note, however, that I cannot discount the possibility that your comment triggered my page’s automatic profanity filter, given your penchant for ad hominem attacks.However, even if you indeed posted a comment as insipid as the one you posted on your own facebook wall, I am pretty confident that I will not delete it, because I like to be amused once in a while.
A thoroughly vapid comment written by an LSU-Ozamiz administrator in defense of LSU-Ozamis Policy? Why the hell would I let that pass? It's comedy gold!
Mr. Noel Alamin, you are the head of LSU-Ozamiz’ Political Science Department, and you also have a law degree. With those kinds of credentials come several expectations, expectations that you failed to meet, in light of your Facebook post-slash-rant.
Note that I have meticulously used the term “law degree” instead of “Attorney” or “Lawyer”, and by this point, I think that you already know why.
Now let’s recall what I said in my letter to LSU-Ozamis, I said that “...if [LSU-Ozamiz] actually meant "are requested to wear" when [it] said "are to wear", then maybe that school really isn't the right one for anyone, especially those who want to learn English.”
Let me add a little bit to that.
“I guess LSU-Ozamiz also happens to be the wrong school for Political Science.”
Oh, and for the love of all that’s good and holy, PLEASE DO NOT OPEN A LAW SCHOOL.
Now, in case you still don’t get it, let me spell it out for you:
Dear LSU-Ozamiz PolSci Dep't Head Noel Alamin, Ll.B., MPS,Oh! One last thing: "Bakit mo ako binlock?"
Please do not let your ego write checks that your brain can’t encash.
Lovingly Yours,
TP
[ThinkingPinoy]
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