The next time you complain about entitled millennials, hold your tongue and remember this.
The students behind a school publication by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s alma mater are being lauded online for publishing an issue that was allegedly deemed by the administration as too critical of the government.
The Bedan Roar, the official student publication of San Beda Manila’s senior high school division, published their latest issue online earlier this month after allegedly being barred from distributing print copies.
In a statement the publication posted on Facebook, it said:
“It is our responsibility and duty to tell the truths of any situation. This is why we would like to formally announce that our magazine would no longer be released despite 1,700 copies having already been printed for the students and the community.
“The reason for the halt order was because the magazine’s contents allegedly contain material that did not pass the standards of the school and was considered not approved. It has been said to be too critical and too negative for the community of San Beda, which is why publishing and printing alone has been considered unauthorized.
“Due to the demand from students to view the said magazine, and we have chosen instead to upload issue #2 online.”
The statement has since been deleted but was reposted online.
The Bedan Roar Alabang, the official student publication of San Beda’s Alabang campus also expressed their support for The Bedan Roar in a Facebook post earlier today.
In an interview with Coconuts Manila, a member of The Bedan Roar‘s writing staff, who we are quoting anonymously given the potential repercussions, said that they were told by their adviser to keep mum about their decision to publish the issue online.
“Unfortunately, all of us at the publication have been ordered by our former adviser to keep our mouths shut about the issue. That includes not giving any information to outside media of any sort. I’m really sorry. I do want to answer your questions Ma’am, but as of the moment our hands are very tied due to how much traction our statement got with outsiders. I hope you understand,” the source said.
Duterte graduated from San Beda’s College of Law in 1972. It is a Catholic university run by Benedictine monks and considered one of the top law schools in the country.
One of the pieces in the issue, titled Game Changer, criticized Duterte for not living up to the school’s values saying:
“A Bedan is civilized and knows how to control his temper. He does not let his emotions consume the best of him — bringing out the beast in him. He has confidence in the potency of sound mind and judgment. But that is not the case for Rodrigo Duterte, whose entirety has turned the tables; changed the way how politics must be played and how power can be exercised without wise discretion. Moreover, he imposed another picture of what a true Bedan is; far from the one that has been established by San Beda College’s forefathers.”
The issue went viral online, with many praising the staff for defending press freedom.
The amount of respect I have for these senior high school students who made the issue for The Bedan Roar is overwhelming. To write is actually a huge step knowing how fascist the state is, but to actually publish it is one big story and move. Mad mad respect.
— Bea #LigtasBalikEskwela (@btrzkji) April 23, 2018
We, from @CEGPhils , support the fight of The Bedan Roar for #DefendPressFreedom ! We hope we can set a meeting with the members of the pub regarding the situation.
— Josiah Antonio (@josiahvantonio) April 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/jocoscolluela/status/988432890299015168
https://twitter.com/anneyungx/status/988380253880926208
Coconuts Manila reached out to San Beda Manila’s Senior High School department but was told that the school cannot comment on the issue at the moment.
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