Monday, March 03, 2008 CEGP local chair urges more student protests
THE chair of the organization of college editors in Davao City is challenging the youth to join protest actions against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, taking on Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte's line that the ouster calls against the President will have more impact if the youths, as one, will join all protests.
In an interview with Nissa Cepalla, chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines in Southern Mindanao, she echoed what the mayor has said in his television program the other week that the force that will remove Arroyo from office will be coming from the students.
"The students must take an active role as they are the primary victims in the corruption of the present government," Cepalla said.
"Education has been put in the backseat instead of being in the forefront," Cepalla added.
Cepalla added that the high number of controversies and anomalies hounding the Arroyo administration only proves that education is not one of the priorities.
"We have a deteriorating educational system and yet the President chose to have a national broadband network project first before focusing on education," Cepalla said.
Although most rallies are participated by students, the participating number is still relatively few to the actual population of students.
Duterte the other week said he reminded the President to keep track of the participation of the student sector in the protest rallies against the administration because once the student sector protest as one, they can gather the numbers needed to create the impression of nationwide dissatisfaction with the present administration.
At present, the local studentry is not gaining much headway in the mainstream student population. (CPM)
