As the current political climate casts a shadow of doubt on the country’s future, the campaign of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP Diliman (STAND UP) is focused on pursuing initiatives catered to defend the rights of the student body and the people.

This year, their campaign hinges on the slogan of “Para sa pangarap na bukas, maglingkod, manindigan! Pag-asa ng bayan, #StandUpStronger!” almost the same as last year’s “stand up together” campaign.

Last year’s elections paved the way for the party to dominate the University Student Council (USC) with their landslide win. Despite facing another year of remote learning, the party still hopes to surmount the challenges ahead to promote their ideology amid threats of a Marcos restoration of power, as well as the ongoing challenges faced due to remote learning.

“Nakita natin from the landslide victory during last year’s election. Ito ay victory hindi lang para sa STAND UP but also a victory para sa pagsulong ng kampanyang masa [through the nine-point agenda],” STAND UP Chairperson Walter Canape said in an interview with the Collegian.

Their nine-point youth and people’s agenda centers on safe, accessible, and quality education; genuine agrarian reform, opposing tyranny, and equality across the Filipino people among other things. These points were anchored in the Kabataan Party-list’s national campaign as STAND UP is allied with the party-list.

Vital Campaigns for the Student Body

First in STAND UP’s general program of actions for the student body is yet another promise of a campaign for Ligtas na Balik Eskwela (LNBE). “Hindi natin alam kung lahat ba ng estudyante ay may kakayahan na makapag-LNBE dahil wala silang financial capacity, kaya naman isa sa mga pwedeng maging solusyon dito ay pagkakaroon ng genuine academic ease at consultation,” Canape said, reiterating STAND UP’s LNBE platform.

STAND UP, if elected, plans on campaigning for free education, which includes demanding free laboratory fees, facilities, and venue rentals, among others. With some students slowly returning to on-the-ground learning, the requirement of a PhilHealth or medical insurance is questioned.

Thus, STAND UP chairperson bet Latrell Felix disagrees with the administration’s decision to require medical insurance, arguing that it only puts more burden on students as some have financial constraints. But how they are going to implement those particular calls is unclear.

The party also aspires to strengthen the calls for genuine academic ease such as the no-fail policy and campaigning against forced dropping. (This week, the UP administration released guidelines allowing professors to drop students whose performances are deemed unsatisfactory.)

And alongside their plans for academic policies, the red party is also seeking to defend the UP community’s democratic rights. While LNBE is a vital campaign for STAND UP, Canape said, they also emphasized the need to protect the studentry from state-sponsored attacks. STAND UP’s calls for students’ security could not come at a better time since, just recently, two students were harassed by state forces, including USC Chairperson Jonas Abadilla.

For one, the party will continue the campaign for the institutionalization of the UP-DNP Accord–a law that would prevent state forces from entering the university premises without prior notification. In efforts to forward students’ democratic rights, STAND UP is supposedly currently coordinating with the Senate and Congress. The party is also for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)—a call shared by many progressive organizations which were frequently targeted by the agency.

“Nasaksihan natin ang kaliwa’t kanan na pamamasista at pag-atake sa ating mga estudyante kaya [dapat na] tuluyan nang mabuwag ang NTF-ELCAC. Gusto natin ng malayang pamamahayag ng mga Pilipino,” Canape said.

STAND UP’s stances and calls on university issues almost resonate with that of their rival, UP Alyansa. Both parties are for LNBE and academic easing, and both of them condemn and oppose state-backed attacks on the university and its constituents. But like the past year’s campaign, those points are where their unity ends.

Reconciliation of Beliefs

The heated discussion during UPFront 2022 between STAND UP and UP Alyansa revealed the parties’ conflicting stances on other national and university issues—and even ideological beliefs. For one, STAND UP believes in militant activism and sees it as the best form of activism to forward people’s campaigns. Meanwhile, UP Alyansa believes in multiperspective activism, taking into account the various stances of its member organizations.

STAND UP councilor Kate Silvio discounted accusations that their form of activism is uncompromising saying that they do not want students with opposing beliefs to feel left out, but rather engage in discussion with them to foster unity.

While Canape acknowledged that there are stances that differ from the other university parties, they are open to discourse. “Open kami sa discussion [dahil] alam naman naming walang hate or personal agenda with the other party. Hindi maiiwisan na may mga differences at malugod naming tinatanggap ang joint forces ng dalawang partido [kung kinakailangan],” Canape said.

The debate between STAND UP vice chairperson candidate Shine Reyes and their UP Alyansa’s Tristan Rafa crystallized the variation of stances between the two parties particularly on the touchy issue of fraternity-related violence.

Earlier this year, the USC created the Inter-Fraternity Sorority Council (IFSC) to supposedly provide communication channels among Greek-lettered organizations and avoid fraternity rumbles. STAND UP is firm in its belief to end fraternity-related violence through the IFSC as it can be an avenue to engage in dialogues with the administration. Meanwhile, UP Alyansa calls for holding fraternities accountable through legal actions and reviewing the Anti-Hazing Law.

But amid their differences, both parties are united with their stance against the return of Marcos to Malacañang. During the election forum, Felix reassured the student body will frustrate the efforts of the Marcos-Duterte tandem and campaign for the Leni-Kiko tandem, citing her party’s efforts to coordinate and unite with other political parties such as UP Alyansa and KAISA UP.

Both parties have endorsed the Leni-Kiko tandem and vowed to defend the student body should a Marcos presidency occur–UP Alyansa vows to call for increased government scrutiny through “Bantay Bayan,” while STAND UP aims to militantly oppose a Marcos administration. “Nandyan ang konseho na titindig sa inyo. Walang lugar ang pasismo sa lipunan,” Felix said.

Solidifying STAND UP’s Programs 

Despite their strong stances for the university, Canape concedes that the remote learning setup continues to be a challenge not just for the current USC leaders, but also during the campaign season. The online campaign only made it harder for STAND UP—and, arguably, both parties—to get their message across to more voters.

The party took advantage of their Facebook page reach, created individual pages for the candidates, and conducted org-to-org and “zoom-to-zoom” sessions—all of which have been a staple of an online campaign for the student council.

But reaching more people is just one part of the equation. What STAND UP needs—to seal the win for their party—is to present a clearer set of platforms, one that is entirely better if not clearer than their past plans. Most of their plans, such as the call for the safe reopening of classes and genuine academic policies, are reminiscent of last year’s calls. While entirely valid, the party has yet to incorporate in their GPOA what actions they would pursue for it to materialize.

It is laudable for the party to have strong and clear stances on issues. But vague and abstract plans do not help the party’s winnability nor the voters in choosing their candidates. After a year of almost being in office, surely STAND UP could have thought of more concrete policies—ones that fit with their experience of dealing with how the USC works and how they steer through UPD’s bureaucratic jungle.

Undoubtedly, STAND UP is in a better position to win the USC anew. But whether they will emerge victorious, as they did last year, is still for the voters to decide—whether the students will stand up stronger with the party, or switch to the other side. ●