UPLB Perspective: Reject Sanchez, champion Nemenzo

The official student publication of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) denounces to the highest degree the nomination of former UPLB chancellor Fernando Sanchez Jr., and for the first time in recent history, expresses its support for the candidacy of UP Diliman chancellor Fidel Nemenzo on their bids for UP President.

As an institution that stood its ground for student rights and welfare during Sanchez’s six-year term, we have already written so much on his anti-student legacy. There have been countless releases, livetweet coverages, and graphics that criticized his term. More so, there are countless reasons why Sanchez’s nomination must be rejected. Our past releases are proof enough of how consolidated we are in this position:

Absentee administration (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/03/16/absentee-administration/)

Coalition against Sanchez’s third term established (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/08/09/coalition-against-sanchez-third-term-established/)

Concerned faculty ‘cut-off’ from raising concerns in UC meeting (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/07/18/concerned-faculty-cut-off/)

How a vague clause in a 2005 BOR decision made Sanchez eligible for a third term (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/08/23/how-a-vague-clause-in-a-2005-bor-decision-made-sanchez-eligible-for-a-third-term/)

‘Not aligned with student concerns’: UPLB admin to push remote learning in September (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/07/02/not-aligned-with-students-concerns-uplb-admin-to-push-remote-learning-in-september/)

‘Pag kumontra ka sa kanya, kalaban ka na’ (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/09/22/pag-kumontra-ka-sa-kanya-kalaban-ka-na/)

Sanchez legacy: A tragedy (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/08/31/sanchez-legacy-a-tragedy/)

Sanchez ‘lied’ to BOR for personal vendetta? (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/09/22/sanchez-lied-to-bor-for-personal-vendetta/)

Sanchez to run for the third term as UPLB Chancellor (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/08/02/sanchez-to-run-for-third-term-as-uplb-chancellor/)

Singko-Worthy Service: UPLB admin’s handling of MRR/Re-ad cases (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/07/18/singko-worthy-service-uplb-admin/)

UPLB students confront UP President over reg concerns (https://uplbperspective.org/2020/02/23/uplb-student-confront-up-president-over-reg-concerns/)

When he announced that he was running for chancellor for a third time last 2020, the situation became so dire that the publication opted to be part of the No to Third Term Coalition (N3TC), linking arms with the UPLB University Student Council (USC), organizations, and individuals as we clamored for the end of his leadership. Alas, the campaign was a success, and Sanchez’s term finally ended.

The university of the people deserves someone with a pro-student, pro-people position, a bias that we have long proudly carried as a publication. For this reason, we support the nomination of Fidel Nemenzo. Nemenzo is against the lifting of academic ease policies and is against the commercialization of UP spaces – both pressing issues our university is confronting right now. To add, his track record as UP Diliman chancellor also shows openness in interacting with student institutions and a commitment to safeguarding UP amid attacks from the fascist state.

Despite this, UPLB Perspective will hold accountable Fidel Nemenzo, should he win as UP President.

All of these qualities of Nemenzo we listed are absent in Sanchez. Though he may have said otherwise in past forums and has made stances that are perceivably favorable for the student body, UPLB’s experience under his term is a testament to how unbelievable and contradicting his claims are.

We vow to bring justice in solidarity with our fellow students whom Sanchez failed to serve under his leadership.

BOR, we have our eyes on you.

UP, reject Sanchez’s nomination!
No more chances, Sanchez!
Fidel for UP president!