HS students hold picket at school in support of suspended student-bloggers
Call on others to express their grievances in their schools

Press Release
January 19, 2009

High school students from different schools in Metro Manila trooped to the Quezon City Science High School today to express their support to the four students whose 10-day suspension as penalty for posting critical blogs was blocked by the Department of Education.

“We want to greet our fellow high school students as they go to class today, knowing that barely yesterday, they were barred from going to school until the intervention from the DepEd,” said Jessica Anoos from the League of Filipino Students – High School chapter.

Anoos added that they not only wish to greet the QCSHS four but recognize their courage for exposing the anomalies in their school, explaining that it is not easy for secondary students to criticize their school administration for fear of the punishment that they may receive.

“If this happened in other high schools, the reaction of the administration would be similar to that of QCSHS principal Zenaida Sadsad, suspension and other penalties and so students are being forced to remain silent instead of expressing their grievances,” Anoos said.

Meanwhile, Vencer Crisostomo, national chairperson of the LFS urged the DepEd to focus its investigation on Sadsad and the QCSHS administration.

“Though the suspension was blocked, the students still face an investigation on whether their blog has violated school rules so the threat remains. However, it would be better for the DepE to channel its energies into investigating the students’ grievances against Sadsad, such that necessary sanctions may be given to her should the allegations be true,” said Crisostomo.

The LFS urged other secondary students to follow the example of the QCSHS Four and fearlessly expose the wrongdoings of their school administration.

“It is a democratic right and a responsibility of students to air their criticism of their school’s administration. And school administrators meanwhile must be barred from using their position and power to threaten the students from speaking and airing their concerns,” said Crisostomo. ###

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