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Salbahis, Mindanao State University/Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan (2025)

Q: What is the address?

Mindanao State University/Iligan Institute Of Technology

12/05/2025

𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘆 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‘round! The Philippine political stage is back with its greatest hit: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘰, a dance where logic trips over loyalty, principles are traded for money, and voters clap along like marionettes on strings. This election szn’s spotlight? A dizzying routine where public figures toss their clout at candidates like confetti, while the electorate scrambles to decide whether to cheer, jeer, or simply switch off their brains.

Let’s cut through the noise: 𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹.

They’re political theater, a curated performance where influencers, celebrities, and even religious leaders hawk candidates like 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬-𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘋𝘝𝘋𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘢𝘱𝘰—all flashy covers, pixelated promises, and guaranteed to disappoint. Yet, time and again, Filipinos treat these endorsements as divine commandments. “𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘪 𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰!” “𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘰 𝘯𝘪 𝘐𝘥𝘰𝘭!”—as if critical thinking were a limited-edition commodity, sold out in 1521.

Take the recent spectacle: A prominent reformist leader (we were rooting for you) endorses a boxing legend-turned-politician, sparking outrage among their own supporters. “𝘕𝘰, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺!” they declare, dissecting the candidate’s competence like a lechon at a fiesta—a glimmer of hope that not all minds have been chloroformed by personality politics. Meanwhile, another camp cheers as a fugitive cult leader is endorsed by a political dynasty heir, met not with scrutiny but with mindless chants of unity. No questions. No hesitations. 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺? 𝘈 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦? Just blind, frothy loyalty to a cult leader who’d rather flee the country than face a Senate hearing. The contrast is stark—𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘀, 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘀. The lesson? For every Filipino who questions an endorsement, there are ten more who treat it as a loyalty test. We’ve turned elections into a 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣𝘴, where reason is the first casualty.

We Filipinos love to posture as critical thinkers. “𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘰!” we crow, moments before voting for a candidate because “𝘔𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 ‘𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯!” or “𝘚𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘵 ‘𝘺𝘢𝘯, 𝘦𝘩!” or good ol’ “𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘬 𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘪…” We sneer at “𝘣𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴” while excusing our own choices with gems like “𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵!” or “𝘔𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢 ‘𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯!” Congratulations—you’ve just endorsed the least worst option, a participation trophy for democracy. But here’s the kicker: 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. A candidate’s kindness, fame, or generosity doesn’t magically translate to legislative skill. Being “humble” or “helpful” doesn’t qualify someone to draft laws, manage budgets, or negotiate international treaties. Don’t get us wrong, kindness is good but it’s not what makes a competent leader. Vote buying still exists, and we elect wannabe leaders who give out the biggest amount because “𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰.” Yet, we keep electing personalities, not platforms—𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆.

Why do we do this? Simple: We’ve confused governance with entertainment. Politicians are no longer public servants—they’re content creators, selling empathy, relatability, and viral sound bites instead of concrete plans. We vote for the candidate who dances best on TV, who cries on command, or whose face we recognize from billboards. We even vote straight under a party because “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺-𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.” Endorsements amplify this farce. Celebrities and influencers—many of whom couldn’t locate a Senate bill on Google—lend their fame to boost candidates, reducing elections to a TikTok challenge. “𝘝𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘟! 𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨!” Meanwhile, platforms gather dust, track records are ignored, and the circus rolls on.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘶𝘴, 𝘩𝘶𝘩?

A government crammed with officials who’ve mastered the art of existing, not excelling. Legislators who file meme-worthy bills, mayors who prioritize photo ops over infrastructure, and leaders who treat public funds like personal baon. We cry about corruption, incompetence, and stagnation—𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀. Worse, we’ve normalized this cycle. “𝘎𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘢!” we shrug, as if incompetence were a force of nature, not a product of our choices.

We rage against the system but refuse to change how we engage with it. Rectitude alone does not qualify you to draft laws. “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴” Fantastic! Let’s make him Head of National Jacket Distribution, not a 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿.

Here’s a radical idea: 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. Would you hire a CEO because they’re “𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘵” or because they’ve turned companies around? Would you trust a surgeon who’s “humble” but has never held a scalpel? No? Then why vote for a senator who can’t name a single law they’ve passed? Demand competence.

𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀.

Grill candidates until their slogans char. Demand their receipts, not rhetoric. Ask for their blueprint, not their ballot number. Let them show you the spreadsheets, not the selfies.

If their campaign pitch boils down to “𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘯𝘪…”—walk away. Act. Demand answers, not alibis. Hold their feet to the fire, not their posters to your jeepneys. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗿—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱.

This isn’t about left vs. right, pro-administration vs. opposition. It’s about 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝘃𝘀. 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. Our addiction to political fairy tales ends when we stop outsourcing our brains to influencers peddling sample ballots like coupons. The elections have turned into a 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵, where candidates parade their “advocacies” and we clap like trained seals. To every voter: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 “𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲” 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻. It’s a tool—a chisel to shape the future. Use it to carve out accountability, not to etch another name onto the altar of fanaticism.

The next time a candidate is endorsed, ask yourself: “𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳… 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦?”

Here’s what senators should do: read bills thicker than a 𝘑𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘦 menu and actually comprehend and emulate them, show up for work more often than a jeepney driver on strike. When a competent leader endorses a laughingstock, they’re not just playing politics—they’re holding up a funhouse mirror to the rotting system. It forces the people to ask: 𝗗𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘀? Platforms or punchlines? A functioning democracy or a glorified noontime show where the grand prize is our future?

So next time a politician tries to sell you a dream, speak for a blueprint, call for the budget, press for a receipt.

Pagbabago doesn’t begin with politicians, their slogans, endorsements, or viral reels… It starts with voters who dare to think and trade “𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘪 𝘯𝘪…” for “𝘈𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘮𝘰?.” 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙯𝙯𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙.

🖋️ Dokja
🎨 Ycon

16/04/2025

𝗜𝗙 𝗜𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦, 𝗧𝗔𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗗

It’s official—Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) is infested with communists and members of the New People’s Army (NPA). Or at least, that’s what the scholars of Facebook comment sections preach whenever IITians dare to utter 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 about society—unless it’s a song of glory.

It has been a growing concern time and again that in this democratic country, a mind-boggling pattern has risen: a 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯 (how shocking!) expressing critical opinion and calling for accountability from the government is practically the same as submitting a résumé, a 2x2 photo, and a letter of application to communist groups and the NPA.

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗱-𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

But first, let’s talk 𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. To that sigma person asking around, “𝘙𝘦𝘥-𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢? 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘥-𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨,” like it’s a philosophical argument worth turning the Greek court upside down: Yes, 𝘔𝘳. 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, any act of harassment toward someone suspected as a communist sympathizer is called red-tagging (call it red-baiting, if you must). 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘩, 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵.

Just a five-minute scroll on Facebook is enough to see that it takes two balls and a dump account to express one’s opinion on society and national politics. I mean, the internet’s a cesspit—people literally dump brouhahas and razzmatazz of political idolatry under any post. Even official student publications posting data-backed polls about students’ ideal senators get victimized and cancelled! Surprisingly not, these red-knot tyers have been plaguing MSU-IIT forums for years—to the point of ruining lives (literally). 𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵-𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴.

𝗦𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗦𝗨-𝗜𝗜𝗧’𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗱-𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗜𝗧𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀?

I mean, try to juggle your memory. Think 2021 when MSU-IIT earned its spot among the elite 18 institutions as an alleged haven for recruitment by the National Democratic Front’s (NDF) Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴! Since then, this royal guillotine has hung over every IITian—from unsuspecting orientations to cutesy rallies to innocent articles.

Really, how much worse can it get? Firstly, when someone talks of human rights violations, they get 𝘻𝘻𝘻𝘻𝘻𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥. When someone joins a March of the Menace—say, to demand policies that allow women’s right to their own bodies—they’re labelled as a * 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱* party supporter. When someone tweets “𝘞𝘦-𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥-𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦-𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘢-𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳-𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭,” lo and behold, they are called a communist. Or when a publication calls out the government’s leniency towards politicians with face cards and big nameplates, it’s tagged again as anti-government—besides being called as biased.

After using social media as a megaphone to call out those with blood on their hands, IITians are ornamented with the same blood-red tag like a Christmas present—yet instead of a gift, it’s a jack-in-the-box ready to scream “𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘕𝘗𝘈!” once opened. All that, and we have yet to hear a CATS’ roar of defense from the mights.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗠𝗦𝗨-𝗜𝗜𝗧?

Every time our fingers begin constructing words of 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 criticism online, there whisper fears of being labeled as “𝘜𝘺, 𝘕𝘗𝘈 𝘰𝘩!” CATS may have nine lives, but at this point, they may be down to one (minus half?).

Aren’t you angry?

We’re being labeled as government haters. We’re being labeled as leftists that, rightists this, color pink, color red, color rainbow (oh no, that’s reserved for a homophobia lampoon), communists, and anything of that ridiculous sort just because 𝘸𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘬𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘴?

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱. So what do we call those who are insulted time and time again, but dare not release a statement of anger? 𝘗𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳? 𝘗𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘺?

We can only salivate over the support of other universities going to great lengths to protect their baby knights—as they should. The University of the Philippines (UP) boasts a three-page guidelines section addressing students involved in red-tagging incidents, and yes, they actually 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬. Or the covetable Anti-Red-Tagging Monitoring Project and the 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥-𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 monitoring dashboard launched by the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC), a university-wide institution with stern eyes set on mitigating the Herculean problem of violence towards human-rights defenders. The findings? A whopping 456 red-tagging incidents in just four months in 2024. Now that’s saying 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

It’s not just MSU-IIT, this is a lash out to the entire MSU system. If only the red pride of Mindanao could 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘤 UP in establishing a Committee on the Protection of Freedoms and Rights, as they did in 2024, then perhaps that’s one thing scratched off from MSU-IIT CATS rant postings.

MSUans need protection. The student publications need protection. As glaringly glitzy as the brand “Influencing the Future” of MSU-IIT boasts on the academic stage, I’m afraid your predictable “we were doing the best we can” and talks about the importance of free speech in defense to calls for accountability by your 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦tituents is not the influence assaulted student activists need, nor the future they want. No one should be afraid to share dissent and be branded as the nemesis of the state, especially under the golden floor of a high THE ranking university. Safeguard (like guard, not soap them away) and establish policies focusing on the protection and promotion of academic freedom. Provide resources for activists—you know, like easing up on the papers during school rallies 𝘭𝘰𝘭. Hold power-trippers and anti-dissenters accountable.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀—𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀.

Or maybe you’re just too domesticated—far flung from the might of a Titan? 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 the only thing a red cat can do is simply meow.

🖋️ Hukbong Heretika
🔎 Iofiel and Orpheus
🎨 Ycon

05/04/2025

So here it is folks, your annual PALAKASAN fails.

31/03/2025

𝗨𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀

A wave of transformation has redefined the university, showcasing a vision of progress and innovation. Towering structures, groundbreaking initiatives, and strategic expansions signal a commitment to growth, reinforcing the pursuit of excellence.

Yet, as these developments take center stage between December 2024 and January 2025, a deeper reality unravels. Beneath the surface lies a contrast between perception and truth. There’s more to the narrative they’re echoing—one that reveals what’s really happening behind the scenes.

𝗙𝗮ç𝗮𝗱𝗲, out now!

https://bit.ly/SilahisVolume9Issue3
https://bit.ly/SilahisVolume9Issue3
https://bit.ly/SilahisVolume9Issue3

14/03/2025

𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗔 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱… 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆

What’s better than welcoming the country’s former head of state with a warm embrace and a grandiose parade of political allies, supporters, and fanatics? Why, rolling out a red notice from the International Criminal Court (ICC), of course! Forget the confetti and marching bands; nothing says “𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦” quite like policemen and a one-way ticket to The Hague.

As the Philippine arena of social media was in a fritz on Tuesday morning, when the ever-so-beloved Tatay of the Filipinos was held captive by authorities upon his arrival from Asia’s World City, cradled by Cathay Pacific flight CX907. It’s almost poetic—alas, did he choke on his own words when he once said, “𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.”

Look how preposterous it is that it took this long to 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 incriminate a self-proclaimed criminal (“self-proclaimed” would be the best adjective here, the same way his confidant is also the self-proclaimed Son of God) who seemingly testified against himself during a court hearing. Oh, how the country watched the epitome of a poorly written telenovela of man against himself conflict.

But hey, supporters of this protagonist glorified and celebrated the aura of fear and autocracy he exuded. These naive minds never fathomed the burn they experienced from the flair of heat. Don’t you ever wonder how long they can endure it? For all we suspect, this heat comes from the pits of hell (or maybe not, if that’s not even true). Even after his reign as president of a third-world country that tried its hardest to be seen in the global community, he had allies.

Ah, the global spotlight! Some leaders earn it through diplomacy, innovation, or humanitarian efforts. Others? Well, they get it by racking up a body count and then trying to ghost the ICC. The Philippines, unfortunately, belongs to the latter category. Filipino pride, I guess. 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺’𝘴 fatal mistake? Withdrawing the Philippines from ICC jurisdiction in 2019, thinking that would save him from accountability for his scarlet-colored war on drugs. Spoiler alert: 𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵.

Yet, the irony is palpable. He who once dismissed the ICC as a “useless court” now faces its wrath of justice. He dodged bullets of accountability like an action star. At this point, he burned his house down then cried for being homeless. Unhinged, is it not? Moreso, here ye, the recurring script of too old to be incarcerated and too sick to be facing jail time. Have we not had enough politicians of those concepts? Power-to-prison starter pack: 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘭𝘢. And don’t get me started on that 80-year old man imprisoned over stolen mangoes. Is a fruit more valuable than a man? I mean, there is “man” in “mangoes,” perchance.

𝘐𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘖𝘙 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵?

No sugarcoating—his drug war didn’t just “clean up the streets.” It sent over 30,000 souls flying, the majority of them poor and powerless; “collateral damages” of 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 shot children included, like a limited-edition promo in a toy store. And let’s not forget his earlier hits as mayor of Davao City—extrajudicial killings (EJKs) are really his branding. Pity him? Nah. Save your pity for the victims who were 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 because someone decided they 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 like drug users.

Challenge: Flip the image. Imagine 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺 being no one. Lucky for him, ICC is sending him to The Hague. But if ICC were Tatay himself, he’ll be sent directly to the afterlife.

But here’s where it gets chef’s kiss ironic: his loyal fanbase is now rallying in different parts of the country, like ants marching toward breadcrumbs, demanding pity for their embattled 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺. Yes, these are the same folks who used to call protesters “NPA” and sneer at human rights advocates as destabilizers. Now they’re out there waving signs and chanting slogans about justice and fairness. Oh, how the tables have turned! It’s like watching a plot twist in a soap opera—except this one involves crimes against humanity. They were once PNP apologists, but now, they’ve flipped to PNP critics in record time—talk about character development. Guess who’s the NPA now? Lol, still not you.

𝘐𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵?

Remember how you guys labeled those who sought justice for EJK victims as supporters of illegal drugs? Now, let’s use that mentality again. Seeking 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 for 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺’𝘴 incarceration is supporting murder. There, have a taste of your own medicine.

And let’s not overlook his allies, scrambling to defend him with cries of 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴—a concept they seemed perfectly fine ignoring during his drug war. The same people who cheered on EJKs are now clutching their pearls over 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴. If hypocrisy were an Olympic sport, this crew would be bringing home gold.

𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵?

If crying politicians had a segment at the Oscars, they’d surely bring the bacon home, too. Look who’s crying over 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺 flying to The Hague, fully alive—yet never shed a tear when the streets of the Philippines were painted red. The audition for PBB is long over, wrap it up.

More annoying flies are also swarming the country—the ones who claim that during 2016-2022, it was the time when walking around the empty streets at night was perfectly safe. Yet statistics swat them down with empirical evidence that the local city from where 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺 came from recorded the highest cases of r*pe. “𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘸𝘢𝘱𝘢, 𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘳*𝘱𝘦 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘯𝘢,” he justified. Brain left the group? Just that, the nose might’ve consumed a huge percentage of 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺’𝘴 head.

𝘐𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 *𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺* 𝘧𝘦𝘸?

Problematic? Truly. Guilty? ICC. :𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘫𝘪:

As 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺 faces his reckoning, one thing is clear: No amount of political connections or bravado can protect you from accountability forever. The ghosts of his victims have finally caught up with him on his trip—and they didn’t even need a visa.

🖋️ The Purple T-square
🎨 Junjin

25/02/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗦𝗨” 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆: 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀

What’s scaring you, MSU? Why did it take you so long?

Was the pressure trying to slit your throat? Or were you just too busy counting your precious funds to notice the knives at your neck? The MSUans have already done their part—more than their part, in fact.

The Mindanao State University (MSU) Student Regent and the Federation of MSU Supreme Student Councils (FEMSUSSCO) appealed to the MSU president, requesting a class suspension today in observance of the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution (not to mention Silahis’ because we don’t wanna toot our own horn). The system’s response? A same-day announcement on the suspension of classes because of, err, pressure? Really? Was the weight of public expectation too much for your fragile administrative shoulders to bear?

It wasn’t until February 25 (today) that they responded with “it is deemed only fitting and proper” for MSU “to give time and space to academe to carry out programs or activities planned for the event.” Fitting and proper? Are you kidding? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗠𝗦𝗨. It’s not a box to check or a PR stunt to pull when the heat gets too intense. But hey, at least you responded, right?

Better late than never, as they say—except your “better late than never” mentality isn’t the slay you think it is. It’s a pathetic, half-hearted attempt to save face, and everyone sees right through it.

We should all take a moment to register the absurdity of the situation in the Philippines today—where the very freedom hard-won on February 25, 1986, is now treated like a mere inconvenience.

The students have done their part. They’ve shown more courage, more integrity, and more respect for history than your entire administration combined. But instead of stepping up, you’ve shown us exactly where your priorities lie: not with truth, justice, or the ideals of EDSA, but with keeping your pockets lined and your political masters happy. So, tell us, MSU—how does it feel to be so thoroughly outclassed by your own students? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 “𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿” 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗲?

The EDSA Revolution—a nonviolent movement that toppled a dictator—was a monumental event, not just for the Philippines but for the entire world. And yet, almost four decades later, we have arrived at a place where history is commendably forgotten, like a faded photograph.

How did we go from revolutionaries to sycophants? We’re using big words because it’s not intellect that you lack, it’s empathy and the guts. In a shocking twist of fate, Filipinos have elected the son of that very dictator who sought to destroy democracy in this country. History has turned into a cruel joke—one that we can only laugh at if we have the stomach for it. And now, under the leadership of an ousted dictator’s son, we are witnessing the shallow reasoning of declaring EDSA a “special working holiday.” Last year, he argued that since February 25 fell on a Sunday, declaring it a working holiday would have minimal effect on the government—a justification so flimsy it borders on insulting.

Let us not mince words: The EDSA Revolution was a triumph of the people, but the years since have been a tragicomedy of errors. We fought for democracy, only to elect leaders who treat power like a family heirloom. We restored an independent judiciary, only to watch it bend to the powerful. We revived a free press, only to see it silenced by threats and lies. Now, we’ve traded our revolutionary spirit for a “special working holiday.” Nothing says “We value freedom” like reducing a revolution to a footnote in a corporate calendar.

And what of the youth, the so-called hope of the nation? While universities across the country honor the EDSA Revolution by suspending classes, MSU remains conspicuously silent. 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁. History will remember this as the hollow indifference of an institution that chose cowardice over courage. Hours ago, MSU sat idle, seemingly terrified of upsetting the fragile ego of the dictator’s son—a man more interested in concerts than governance. Only after pressure from other schools and public judgment did MSU finally act. So, what are you afraid of, MSU? The ghost of Marcos Sr. or the power of Marcos Jr.?

Oh, MSU System, how utterly disgraceful you have become. This seemingly sends a message that history is nothing but a footnote. That the sacrifices of activists, students, and ordinary citizens—those brave souls who faced tanks and armed soldiers with nothing but their convictions—count for absolutely nothing?

𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀—but your so-called “commemoration” of the EDSA Revolution was a pathetic, last-minute charade that reeked of desperation. Suspending classes just hours before the scheduled suspension? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗯𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗱, 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁—𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗗𝗦𝗔, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Let’s be honest, MSU: you didn’t act out of principle or respect—you acted because the pressure forced your hand. You caved, not because you cared, but because you were backed into a corner. And even then, you couldn’t muster the courage to do more than the bare minimum. Did you even pause to consider what EDSA means, or was it just another box to check? Is this how you honor those who fought for freedom—with a hollow, contemptuous gesture? Pathetic doesn’t begin to cover it.

But hey, let’s not be too harsh on MSU. We get it—standing up for what’s right is hard, especially when it might cost you something, literally. I mean, who wouldn’t be scared of losing government funds, grants, and whatever scraps the national administration decides to throw their way? It’s not like MSU has a responsibility to stand for truth, justice, and the principles of academic freedom. No, no—just toe the line and hope the checks keep coming. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗠𝗦𝗨?

The MSU System’s reluctance to join in the remembrance of the EDSA Revolution reeks of political cowardice and dishonor. The students are braver than you. It’s almost as if the administration has been bought out by the very forces that long for the past to be forgotten. Let’s not beat around the bush—how can a system that claims to lead students forward remain silent in the face of such historical amnesia? If the MSU leadership is too terrified to anger the current administration—has already shown a remarkable ability to rewrite history at will—then they might have trained students the wrong way, who now stand and speak against injustice and historical erasure.

Forget the students who are the very people who made the system into what it currently is. Forget the students who gave MSU its glory. As long as Marcos is satisfied, to hell with the students. We now begin to fear: Was it a mistake to entrust our education to you? Was it a mistake to believe you’d stand for something more than self-preservation and political pandering?

The valor of those who died for our freedom is drowned out by your silence. We should never forget what we fought for, and you should not be the ones standing in the way of remembering it.

Long live the future, where our past is conveniently erased, and where the only thing that matters is the spectacle. The helter-skelter effort you’re giving us now rivals the mockery of those who seek to erase history. It speaks not of peace, but of compliance.

Indeed, what a fitting metaphor for the state of our nation has the MSU system made: a revolution reduced to a day of half-hearted observance, while the lessons of history are buried under the weight of political expediency. If we hadn’t basically begged you, would there be a suspension at all? Truly, we have come full circle—from revolution to farce. You’ve shown us exactly what happens when institutions like yours prioritize survival over principle, when silence becomes your currency and history becomes your casualty.

But let this also be a reminder of how important it is to resist. Students who drafted letters of pleas to suspend classes, students who spearheaded events—the glory is yours.

We know what scares you, MSU. It’s not the pressure, not the outcry, not even the truth. What scares you is the thought of losing your place at the table, of forfeiting those sweet funds and political favors. What scares you is the realization that your students—the very people you were supposed to guide—are braver, louder, and more principled than you’ll ever be.

What scares you is the truth: that history will remember you not as a beacon of education, but as a monument to cowardice. And trust us, 𝙈𝙎𝙐, that’s 𝙤𝙣𝙚 legacy you’ll never escape.

🖋️ Dokja
🎨 GUCCILA

11/02/2025

Does the S in CATS mean 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘸 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴?

Art by Baloot

10/02/2025

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 “𝗜𝘀 𝗘𝗖 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆?”

The release of “𝗜𝘀 𝗘𝗖 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆?” sparked diverse reactions from the community, rooting from the erroneous statement published.

This official statement is to properly respond to concerns about the matter.

For transparency, the statements “𝘊𝘚𝘔 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘊 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘚𝘔-𝘌𝘊 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯” and “𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘚𝘔-𝘌𝘊 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘧𝘦𝘦” from the first release of the issue for October to November 2024 did not align with the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) Governor’s claims during the interview. Upon reviewing, the errors were identified and validated. The editors have sent three emails to the Governor prior to posting the snippet for the article: one in December acknowledging their concern, an apology for overlooking substantial information, and a message informing them of the rectifications.

The statements were corrected. Unfortunately, they were not reflected upon publishing. Because of this, an erratum was immediately commented under the post to address this oversight.

𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

However, unwarranted and misleading accusations are escalating beyond the context of the issue.

𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀. Rather, the article chastises the misallocation of accumulated money, jeopardizing IITians with financial difficulties.

𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. It genuinely sympathizes with the dilemmas that student leaders face because, as a university-based publication, its members are not exempt from conundrums. Thus, it will 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 undermine nor invalidate their service to the student body, and the article does not reflect that.

To add more context, the issue covered happenings from October to November 2024. At the time, students voiced apprehensions about the cost of the membership fee, as it was significantly increased compared to the previous collection. The matter was raised to the Editorial Board and received approval to proceed with writing.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. The corrections made do not change the overall message of the piece. Silahis encourages everyone to read the full article, as it is crucial to grasping the nuances of the issue. Understanding the article in its entirety ensures a fair and informed discussion.

𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻; 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

As the official student publication of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Silahis remains committed to upholding the principles of press freedom, responsible journalism, and truth-seeking. The publication’s duty is to amplify student concerns, encourage critical discourse, and hold institutions accountable while ensuring that reports are fair, well-researched, and rooted in facts.

Salbahis

12/05/2025

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