DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Around 300 students of Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi campus staged a rally Monday, December 12, to oppose the administration’s move to resume classes for the month a week after the bombing that killed four and injured more than 40.
The students, holding placards with calls such as “Hustisya muna bago finals” (Justice before final exams), and “Make MSU safe”, staged their protest in front of the Ahmad Domocao A. Alonto, Sr. Hall to express their stand.
The MSU Marawi Supreme Student Government led calls opposing the resumption of classes.
Its house speaker, Aklima Lao Batao, a fourth-year nursing major, said in an interview with Mindanews that the decision to resume classes is abrupt and insensitive to the situation of the students and faculty members who were traumatized or hurt during the bombing of the Dimaporo Gym during Sunday Advent last December 3.
The MSU President Attorney Basar Mapupuno announced last December 7 in a memorandum that “in-person classes and academic activities resume on the 11th of December and end on the 22nd of December, 2023.”
This comes four days after the bombing incident, and the administration had declared an indefinite suspension of classes to assess campus security.
READ: Four killed, 42 injured in blast in MSU Marawi
The administration said “enhanced security presence” is being implemented with the addition of a battalion from the regional PNP and a company from the Armed Forces, which will conduct regular sweeps around the campus.
Psycho-social services are also made available for students and faculty members.
“Recognizing the emotional impact of the recent incident, the University will continually provide readily available mental health and psycho-social support services to all students and faculty,” the memo stated.
But Lao said they want the university administration “to allot ample time to discuss the matter.”
Student exams which were supposed to take place in December are now rescheduled to January, according to Attorney Rashid Pandi, director of the university Presidential Management Staff who reportedly talked with the protesting students.
Some 1,948 students returned to their home provinces after the incident, including 20 from Davao Region. The administration said transportation was made available for these students to return to campus.
The university has a student population of 14,855.
MSU’s student publication, the Mindanao Varsitarian, conducted an online survey where 3,073 students disagreed with the resumption of classes.
The survey, responded by 3,605 students as of Sunday, also showed that 2,769 respondents want an online setup for the remainder of the first semester. Some 2,763 students left the campus dormitories or houses after the incident.
The Varsitarian reports that student councils of respective colleges are circulating a petition addressing their college deans to reconsider the decision to hold face-to-face classes and consider the safety of the students.
“”Academic Ease Now” movement gaining traction on various social media platforms—drawing attention to the need for a more compassionate and understanding approach to the aftermath of the tragic incident,” the Varsitarian report said.
The bombing claimed the lives of two students, a faculty member, and an employee. Members of the MSU administration and faculty have visited the wake and offered assistance to the families of the victims, the school’s social media page announced. (davaotoday.com)
Marawi, Mindanao, MSU
