This petition aims to DROP THE NON-READMISSION SANCTION AGAINST PAOLO TARRA AND TO STOP THE PERSECUTION AND WITCH HUNT OF STUDENT ACTIVISITS IN DLSU-D.

Paolo Tarra is a 2nd Year AB Psychology student of De La Salle University- Dasmarinas (DLSU-D), student rights advocate and activist from the Coalitions of Concerned Lasallians (CCL), and a human rights defender in the Southern Tagalog Region. As the coordinator CCL, he spearheads campaigns and programs that responds to anti-student and anti-people university policies including the annual hike of Tuition Fee.

On May 29, he faced the unjust penalty of Non-Readmission issued by SWAFO for alleged violation of the Memorandum of Agreement for Non-Fraternities / Sororities and Organization (MOANFSO). He undergoes case proceedings that will reveal the lack of concrete evidence to his case, and gross mishandling of SWAFO throughout the entire procedure including their rejection to a legal counsel from University Student Government (USG), bias to the investigation head that handles his case, and the absence of complainant to the hearings.

This is also not the first time that student activists in DLSU-D faced the same persecution through the weaponization of MOANFSO. Since 2019, there have been reports of members of CCL and Anakbayan Kalayaan being summoned by SWAFO to coerce them from joining political organizations by issuing appropriate sanctions based on the Student Handbook and the vague provisions of MOANFSO. On July 2023, Bianca Canlas, former coordinator of CCL, were also apprehended, red-tagged, and interrogated by former Office of Student Services (OSS) Dean, Domingo Reblora Jr. for her involvement to the organization.

In the current socio-political situation of our country, injustice has been rampant. Students who have strong political stances on these socio-political issues will always find ways and avenues to express themselves and try to be active agents of societal change. When the University lacks the avenue for these democratic expressions, students will always seek alternative means as part of their rights to self-expression and to organize. This is why academic policies that penalize students for engaging in socio-political discourse through various means have no place in a University that should have values that are democratic and progressive in nature. Joining organizations that are aligned with their principles are justified because it is one of their inherent rights as Filipino citizens.

MOANFSO and similar policies that set limitations on what, when, and which organizations to choose violates the academic freedom and right to organize of the students. This is why we believe that the case against Paolo Tarra is an attack against the students constitutional rights. Students have the agency and democratic right to choose when and which organizations they will join. As long as social injustice remains, joining organizations like the Coalition of Concerned Lasallians will always be justified.

Therefore, by signing this petition you are hereby AGREEING TO DROP THE NON-READMISSION SANCTION ISSUED BY SWAFO TO PAOLO TARRA. MOREOVER, YOU ARE HEREBY ONE WITH THE CALL TO JUNK MOANFSO AND TO REVIEW THE DLSU-D STUDENT HANDBOOK.

#DropTheSanctionAgainstPT

#ReviewDLSUDStudentHandbook

#JunkMOANFSO

#DefendPaoloTarra

#DefendAcademic Freedom