what’s bugging me since last week was what happened to four high school students in quezon city who got their basic right to free speech shot down by their school principal.  the case stemmed from the students writing negative stuff in a blog about the school’s policies brought about by the principal herself.  according to news reports, the principal was humiliated in the blog by being called names and made fun of in songs denouncing her administration of the school.  the end result?  the school principal imposed a 10-day suspension on the students which was supposed to take effect this past monday.  although the division of city schools supported the penalty, the department of education overturned the decision and ordered an investigation of the case, thus the students are still going to school pending the results.

as a blogger myself who very openly writes about what i feel about whatever and whoever, i see the imposing of the 10-day suspension by the school principal as a cowardly, irresponsible, narcissistic, and grave abuse of power.  all of us–and i do mean all of us, which includes students–have the right to free speech by saying whatever we want to say.  granted that with free speech comes responsibility, but what if all the allegations of the students are true?  writing stuff about one’s experiences in blogs stems from their own experiences and therefore has merit.  calling people names in blogs is no different from protesters in the streets exercising their right to assemble and call public officials with different names.  as one official in the department of education told a news reporter, “school officials should be open to criticism and not be onion-skinned.”  the school officials in question should broaden their understanding of what was written and not just think of themselves or what people might think of them.  in fact, they should look into these allegations as well.  curbing free speech by punishing people who exercise that very basic right is just the same as being in the 70s when martial law was implemented.

basing on what the reasons the school principal gave on imposing the 10-day suspension, which were “degrading the school and the repuation of it’s officials by malicious statements,” this just goes to show how overly sensitive to criticism most filipinos are.  this brings back similar reactions by “old-school” filipinos to jokes made by foreign television soap operas, talk shows and comedy sketch shows.  looking at all of these, i’m going out on a limb by stating that culturally, filipinos are overly sensitive.  we take jokes about us as insults, and criticism about how we do things as a slap in the face.  no wonder we’re in the state that we’re in!!  we always want to hear the good things.  news flash for all you old-timers who are ultra-conservatives:  good things don’t always sound so good.  in a society that clamors for honesty and transparency, bloggers are slowly being made as the front-liners in making sure that everything that people in power do is in check.  and in today’s age where the minority can be elected to the highest office in the planet, ultra-conservatism has no place here and should learn to adjust like everyone else.

here’s a simple message to the school principal and all the officials of quezon city science high school who were “offended” by the students’ remarks on the blog:  let go of your egos.  instead, take criticism as a way to improve or change what’s needed to be changed.  yes, the word “change” might be overused nowadays, but if we want to really have world-class education–the one we’ve been aiming for–maybe we should start listening to those who we teach.  ironically, maybe you can also learn from them instead of what goes on daily in the classrooms.

and to the four high school students who wrote the blog, well, you might not be able to read this, but here’s a message to you as well:  don’t be discouraged.  continue doing what you have done.  as long as there is basis in what you have written, and deep down inside you know that you’re right, you’ll never, ever be wrong despite what other people might say.  free speech is the last bastion you can rely on when all else fails.

in closing, i would like to reiterate that blogs should be off-limits to persecution, prosecution and censorship.  everyone in the world should have the freedom to say what they want to say about anyone or anything without the fear of being hunted down, alienated, or being “silenced.”  yes, again, with free speech comes responsibility.  so if what is being said has basis or solid truth behind it, by all means, say it to the world.  it’s not like i haven’t called someone a no-good, stupid, social-climbing, paris hilton-feeling, slutty whore-bitch without it being true, right miss candee dela cruz?  or someone a gutless, spine-less, no-balls piece of sh*t son of a bitch, right mister eduardo de jesus jr.?

have a good weekend everyone!!