NEW MAN ONBOARD. UP Coach Teodorico "Boyet" Fernandez III (Google Images/Flickr)

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws spoiled Teodorico “Boyet” Fernandez III’s debut as “acting’ coach of the University of the Philippines Maroons and notched their fourth straight win with a 94-70 victory over UP in their UAAP season 73 basketball match at Philsports Arena in Pasig City today.

Fernandez was named “acting” head coach of the Maroons after Aboy Castro left the Team for personal reasons. He joined UP early this season as coaching consultant. However, his “official” coach status is yet to be determined.

Coming off-the bench, Terrence Romeo scored 12 of his 21 points in the second half for the Tamaraws as they remained undefeated in the season.

“When UP’s defense started to collapse, I started pouring in baskets,” Romeo said after the match.

FEU led throughout the match as they played solid offense with a 53.8 field goal percentage or converting one in every two attempts made. UP, on the other hand, suffered heavily on offense and posted a dismal 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.

No sustainability

“The problem with the team is that most of us are shooters. We really-need to avoid our trigger-happy tendencies,” veteran Maroon Martin Reyes said.

The Tamaraws sizzled early in the match as Aldrech Ramos sank in all his baskets as sharp-shooter RR Garcia fired two triples to finish the first half with a comfortable 50-33 lead over the Maroons.

UP Fighting Maroons captain Woody Co grimaces in pain due to a muscle tear halfway through the second quarter in their game against FEU Tamaraws. Whether he will be playing for UP next week is still unknown. (Christine Anne Penalosa)

After a fired-up first half, Reyes scored a floater and fired back to back triples as they cut FEU’s lead to 8 but Romeo averted UP’s momentum by pouring in two three-pointers at the end of the third period.

“The team’s main problem is sustaining a scoring run. Once the other team stops our scoring run, we lose our play,” Fernandez said on failing to sustain their momentum in the third quarter.

“We need to do some character-building in preparation for our next game,” he added.

Meanwhile, UP team captain Woody Co suffered a muscle tear after a fall early in the second quarter. A check-up will be done tomorrow to diagnose the cause. However, Co quickly dispelled that his injury is not season-ending.

“I may be out for a week,” he said.

The UP Fighting Maroons will be going up against the UE Red Warriors Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

“Kahoy! Kahoy!” was all the on looking guard could exclaim moments before a tree broke off from its trunk and crashed on two passersby just hours ago.

A male and a female student, both unidentified, were injured as a tree fronting Benton Hall in U.P. Diliman collapsed 11:15 a.m. today, blocking two lanes of Roxas Ave. in the process.

Benton Hall is situated on Roxas Ave. corner Fernandez Street. It houses the Office of Anti-Sexual Harassment, the U.P. Gender Office, and the Center for International Studies.

The tree is suspected to have considerably weakened due to termites and Typhoon Basyang, which hit Metro Manila at signal # 2 strength Tuesday evening, said security guard Lorenzo Lumagod.

The plant box on which the tree was located had also cracked.

Lumagod, a roving guard assigned to the area, said the two students panicked and the male victim in a navy blue striped polo shirt was directly hit by the tree.

“Naglalakad kami papuntang CASAA (College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association, a cafeteria), at noong nasa may harap na kami ng PHAn (Palma Hall Annex), biglang bumagsak yung puno,” said Kirstin Jello Bernabe, a journalism senior who witnessed the incident with her friends.

Fracture but no bone doc

Bernabe said the victims were picked up by a black car which sped to the nearby U.P. Health Service.

The male victim suffered a leg fracture to his right knee, swelling his leg to thrice its normal size, said Dr. Hector Dionisio, the physician on duty at the Health Service emergency room.

The victim was rushed to the East Avenue Medical Center because the Health Service did not have an orthopedic doctor on call.

“Right now walang ambulance para dalhin yung victim sa hospital, good thing may private vehicle na nagdala,” said Dionisio.

As of press time Campus Maintenance Office staff have partially cleared the tree, said Lumagod, and two guards have been stationed on Roxas Ave. to direct traffic around the fallen tree.

With reporting by Monica Joy Cantilero and Alexandra Gabrielle Francisco

Photos to follow shortly.

MAN OF THE HOUR. President Benigno C. Aquino III (Nikki Careen Palacios)

Photos by Gianfranco Geronimo, Nikki Careen Palacios, and Rogelio Tubije II

One look at this inauguration ceremony and one could say that this was  no ordinary transition of power.

Amid the sea of bright yellow that covered every inch of Luneta, hundreds of spectators witnessed the first regular electoral transition of government since Fidel V. Ramos transferred power to Joseph Estrada 12 years ago, in 1998.

An era ended, as a new one began. After nine years under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the country witnessed the son of Ninoy and Cory Aquino take his oath and promise, “Kayo ang boss ko.”

Benigno C. Aquino III ran for president under the platform of hope and change, akin to his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama. It is yet to be seen if he can make good his sweeping promises of cracking down on corruption and reforming government, among others.

On site during the presidential inaugural on June 30 at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, TNP brings to you the images of this historic transition, as it unfolded on that fateful Wednesday morning.

[View with PicLens]

By Franz Jonathan G. de la Fuente

Less than a week to Election Day, nine University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) student councils called for Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to leave and finish her term on June 30 in a press conference at the College of Law yesterday.

The GMA MUST GO! Alliance, led by the University Student Council, and composed of student councils from the Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT), College of Architecture (Archi), College of Business Administration (CBA), College of Arts and Letters (CAL), College of Mass Communication (CMC), College of Science (CS), College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), and the School of Economics (SE) expressed their disapproval at many of Arroyo’s policies since 2001.

The Alliance is also supported by the Law Student Government through Law Public Relations Officer Maria Kristina Conti, who stressed the need to specifically hold Arroyo accountable to her presidential oath as stated in the 1987 Constitution.

The press conference was presided by Conti, CMCSC chairperson Sherwin Ian Su and CSSPSC chairperson Ranulfo Javelosa III.

Culture of impunity

Su, a broadcast communication major, condemned the administration’s response to the Ampatuan Massacre last year and the cultivation of a culture of impunity toward journalists in the press.

The Philippines is now the world’s most dangerous place for journalists according to the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

AIT SC chairperson Karen Claire Chan called Arroyo’s policies “a masquerade of total failures,” while Architecture representative Alexander Dominic Mayoralgo said, “We need a steadfast leader to loosen Arroyo’s grip on power,” referring to Arroyo’s possible presidential successor and her possible return to power after 2010.

Arroyo is currently running for representative in Pampanga’s 2^nd congressional district.

“After nine years of ‘service,’ she (Arroyo) shall leave Malacañang with a tarnished legacy ridden with endless controversy and political instability,” the alliance stated in a statement entitled “She shall leave” citing the various liabilities Arroyo had accumulated for over nine years.

Challenge to presidential bets

The statement mentioned Arroyo’s various scandals, her administration’s human rights record, and her decisions pertaining to the judiciary.

The alliance said “the challenge for the next set of leaders is to restore the people’s confidence in its selected leadership,” and also called for “vigilance not just from students, but from all sectors of Philippine society, to prevent a return of tyranny in her hands or in those of others.”

USC vice chairperson Amme Agudo hinted at a protest/celebration on June 30, the day Arroyo’s presidential term ends, “marking not only the departure of a tyrant, but ushering in a fresh shot at the aspirations for the country we’ve failed to realize.”

Arroyo succeeded Joseph Estrada as president in 2001 after the latter was ousted in a popularly-backed revolt dubbed “Edsa Dos.”

She was re-elected in 2004 for a single six-year term, defeating actor Fernando Poe, Jr. in an election marred by allegations of cheating done by the Arroyo campaign.

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In the end, a person’s name is all that matters.

This was a message by renowned media practitioner Cecilia “Che Che” Lazaro as she and other media panelists closed the College of Mass Communication Foundation Week with a discussion held earlier today at the CMC Auditorium.

“Our name is the most valuable thing we have,” she said.

Lazaro, a former Broadcast Communication department chairperson,  said a journalist’s name is the most important thing they must protect because journalists thrive on credibility in the field.

She said the practice of envelopmental journalism is rampant in the country because the profession only entitles little money for the reporter.

“Money evaporates, but your name proceeds well beyond your grave” Lazaro remarked.

RPN 9reporter and Broadcast Communication professor Marie Ann Los Banos said peer pressure is a key factor as to why journalists accept bribes in the first place.

She said journalists who are given the money usually receive it at the same time with other reporters, making it harder for the journalist to refuse the money due to fear of being ostracized.

Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Alcuin Papa said journalists who engage in this practice are often marked for life because by merely accepting the gift entitles the receiver to have a debt of gratitude to the one who gave the money.

“Once you participate, you are instantly marked as one of them,” Papa said in Filipino.

He suggested that the first thing a journalist should do is not to spend the money and consult the desk immediately, because they know how to deal with the issue.

Covering elections

Papa said one of problems in covering elections is the over-focus on the national elections over the local ones.

“Local elections have a bigger impact on our lives,”he said.

He said most of the coverage on local elections fall under the Metro pages with reporters still green at handling election issues.

Papa said one of the reasons why the media centers on the national elections because it rakes in a lot of revenues with all the hype on election polls and mudslinging.

He said it may be because they treat media as a business, and the juicier the story is the more ratings the companies get.

“Celebritification”

Papa discussed why many politicians do not follow the election code and said it was because the public lets them get away with it.

“If they don’t follow election laws, why put them in office?” he said.

Lazaro explained Filipinos have a concept of famous personalities being above the law.

She said there is a trend where most personalities go unpunished because the public believes it is okay for these people to break the rules since they are special.

Lazaro said this is something that should be changed and proper knowledge is the key for solving it.

The right questions

When covering elections, Lazaro said all politicians loved using motherhood statements like “pagbabago” and “resolba ang kahirapan” without giving any actual solutions for their statements.

“They are not looking at the gut issues since they want to be on the safe side,” she said.

Most politicians never reveal their stands on pertinent issues like the RH Bill because they fear doing so would lose a lot of votes, she said.

“They’re trying to please all sectors,” Lazaro said.

She said it is the media’s job to find their answers since most politicians do not respond to the issues directly.

One of those means, Lazaro said, was to do extensive research and give out the facts on the issue.

Los Banos said politicians are tricky, that is why journalists should continue asking questions even if the politician will not answer the issues.

“When it comes to coverage, we need to have the right prerogative,” she said in Filipino.

Ethical reporting

Papa said what students learn in school actually acts as a foundation on their future role as journalists.

He said ethics is important no matter what other people say because it is the reporter’s judgment whether that story will be published.

He said journalists will have biases, but they have a “moral north star” to guide them.

“Even if you just sit down and write, ethical considerations already applies,” Papa said.

Lazaro advises the students not to lose the focus on ethical writing because it is the responsibility of a media practitioner to exercise ethical reporting at all times.

“Keep your ideals, don’t be fooled by the system,” Lazaro said.

Educate the illiterate

DZAS radio broadcaster Eric Maliwat said it is the journalist’s job to educate the masses into telling them what to think and what to think about, especially election related matters.

“If the public becomes literate, they will find [an]electorate who will reflect them,”he said.

He said the masses are having a hard time thinking because they can’t even have enough food to feed their family, that is why journalists should stand up for the role of being their guide.

“We need to teach them to think,” Maliwat said.

Total Voting Population: 1,086 enrolled CMC students

Voter Turnout: 370 enrolled CMC students

Percentage: (Turnout over Voting Population): (34.07%)

Scores:

Richard Gordon – 139

Gilbert Teodoro – 107

Benigno Aquino III – 48

Manuel Villar – 37

Nicanor Perlas – 15

Eduardo Villanueva – 5

Jamby Madrigal – 3

Joseph Estrada – 1

Vetallano Acosta – 0

JC delos Reyes – 0

ABSTAIN – 15

Percentages (score over turnout)

Richard Gordon – 37.57%

Gilbert Teodoro – 28.92%

Benigno Aquino III – 12.97%

Manuel Villar – 10%

Nicanor Perlas – 4.05%

Eduardo Villanueva – 1.35%

Jamby Madrigal – 0.81%

Joseph Estrada – 0.27%

ABSTAIN – 4.05%

Percentages (score over total voting population)

Richard Gordon – 12.80%

Gilbert Teodoro – 9.85%

Benigno Aquino III – 4.42%

Manuel Villar – 3.41%

Nicanor Perlas – 1.38%

Eduardo Villanueva – .46%

Jamby Madrigal – .28%

Joseph Estrada – .09%

ABSTAIN – 1.38%

After voting in the college and university council elections held inside the CMC auditorium, the students were asked to vote at the mock polls “precinct” outside the door. 645 out of 1084 CMC students or 59.5% of the college population voted in the CMC Student Council/University Student Council elections.

Photo by Joshua Dalupang

By Katherine Elona

Interdependent Student-Centered Activism (ISA) won all the top positions in the College of Mass Communication (CMC) elections, while Student Alliance as the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP-CMC (STAND-UP-CMC) only clinched five spots as the department representatives.

ISA’s Nigel Cornel won as CMC Representative with 457 votes, with 188 students voting to abstain.

The next CMC-Student Council (CMC-SC) will be led by Sherwin Su of ISA, who won as chairperson with 319 votes, beating STAND-UP’s Katherine Molina who got 296 votes.

ISA’s Rix Migriño, who got 346 votes as opposed to STAND-UP’s JR Remigio’s 182 votes, will be the next CMC-SC Vice Chairperson.

ISA’s Pam Po won as secretary with 341 votes, and B-an Catubay from the same party won as treasurer with 360 votes. Their opponents from STAND-UP Kirstin Bernabe as Secretary and Abigail Lingbaoan as Treasurer got 243 and 215 votes respectively.

ISA’s Jake Rivera and Rox Uy who both got 144 votes are the next Broadcast Communication Representatives. STAND-UP’s Den Yalung got 79 votes.

All representatives from the journalism and film departments are from STAND-UP. Gail Orduna, with 102 votes, and Norman Riego with 84 votes are the next journalism representatives, while Dreps Tatad, with 61 votes and Jan Pineda with 65 votes are the next Film Institute Representatives.

ISA’s candidates for journalism representatives Mica Yu and Jacques Jimeno got 65 and 80 votes respectively, while their bets for Film Institute representatives Vinnie Pacleb and Maika Gomez only got 43 and 40 votes respectively.

The next communication research representatives are ISA’s Cheska Teresa, with 98 votes, and STAND-UP’s Ainah Punzalan, with 58 votes. Oya Olalia of STAND-UP got 35 votes.

Andrea Galindo won as graduate studies representative with 6 votes, as 5 graduate students opted to abstain.

CMC garnered a 59.68% voter turnout this year, a marked improvement from last year’s 57%.

Fermina Carmen “Amme” Agudo, STAND UP, 4046
Beverly “Bevs” Lumbera, ALYANSA, 2659
Froilan Antonio “Ton” Bacungan, 2038

Councilors:
5 STAND UP (S), 4 ALYANSA (A), 3 KAISA (K)
1. Chorva David (K), 4159
2. Tin Borja (A), 3827
3. KKK Kalingking (K), 3633
4. Nico Ibaviosa (A), 3587
5. Sarah Elago (S), 3263
6. Gem Garcia (S), 3080
7. Dan Ramos (S), 2922
8. Jeanine Duran (S), 2910
9. Ezie Mariazeta (S), 2895
10. Richard Estrella (A), 2790
11. Simoun Salinas (A), 2739
12. Mavee de la Rasma (K), 2642
13. Pat Tobias (K), 2545
14. Neil Nucup (S), 2547
15. Chase Suguitan (A) 2527
16. Lean Marquez (S), 2509
17. Tbacz Bactol (K), 2482
18. Gil Turingan (A), 2455
19. Joseph Cataan (S), 2407
20. Ranel Cheng (K), 2358
21. Charles Icasiano (S), 2354
22. Marky Mondia (A), 2333
23. Kenneth Reganon (S), 2151
24. Marielle Bordado (K), 2145
25. Papsi Bacay (S), 2092
26. Marian Cloma (A), 1995
27. Val Inting (K), 1900
28. Cams Maranan (K), 1776
29. Gino Leynes (K), 1721

CMC Representative
Nigel Cornel (ISA)–457
Abstain–188

Chairperson
Sherwin Su–319
Katherine Molina–296
Abstain–32

Vice Chairperson
Erika Migrino (ISA)–346
JR Remigio (STAND UP)–182
Abstain–119

Secretary
Pamela Po (ISA)–341
Kirstin Bernabe (STAND UP)–243
Abstain–62

Treasurer
Ruby Catubay (ISA)–360
Abigail Lingbaoan (STAND UP)–215
Abstain–72

Broadcast Communication Representatives
Jan Kevin Rivera–144
Roxanne Uy 144
Denise Yalung 79
Abstain 13

Film Representatives
Jan Pineda (STAND UP)–65
Anna Tatad (STAND UP)–61
Vincent Pacleb (ISA)–43
Michaela Gomez (ISA)–40
Abstain–2

Communication Research Representatives
Cheska Teresa (ISA)–98
Raainah Punzalan (STAND UP)–58
Lorelei Olalia (STAND UP)–35
Abstain–5

Journalism Representatives
Gail Orduna (STAND UP)–102
Norman Riego (STAND UP)–84
Jacques Jimeno (ISA)–80
Marica Yu 65
Abstain–8

Graduate Studies Representative
Andrea Galindo (STAND UP)–6
Abstain–5