VOLUME XLVII NO. 11 APRIL 2008 LaSallThe ian Retrospective Foresight Stapled by the staple. Election results. Junk for all seasons. Summer tournaments. Poptown. WWW.THELASALLIAN.ORG table of CoNTENTS Dear readers, University Menagerie University Bulletin Culture & Lifestyle By the time this issue gets to your hands, 4 Election Results 15 Sins of a Solar Empire Sumilao farmers get Summerland the editors and staff of The LaSallian--based their land TV Re-runs on the feedback we’ve garnered over the past NBN deal update Pinoy Big Brother: two months--have likely made a definitive de- Teen Edition Plus cision as to whether the publication will re- Situationer main a broadsheet or finally become a maga- Long Feature Rice crisis zine. In this regard, we would like to thank 7 16 Junk for all seasons you for making your voices heard, and we Cover Story 25 cent’s worth SC Prospectus assure everyone that our decision, whatever 12 Beauty and the blunder: that might be, would faithfully reflect what Reflections on the new Bb. Pilipinas 2008 - world the university community thinks is the best 18 direction to take. On another note, we are sure many of you are wondering why this is a “serious” regular is- sue rather than a lampoon. Indeed, the latter is a special and time-honored custom, but we believe that present circumstances warrant a Opinion Editorial Short Feature break from tradition. Last month’s unusually 8 Starting point 19 Talk of the town heated General Elections, the emergence of concerns about domestic rice supply and food Sports security, the recent Supreme Court ruling up- Roundup holding executive privilege--so much is going 20 DLSU teams participates summer tournments on this time of the year, and as an institution Commentary which sees itself as a “bastion of issue-oriented 10 Starting point Highlights UAAP 70 critical thinking,” letting our annual exercise Second thoughts 21 in intelligent sarcasm take precedence over Unbridled altruistic journalistic responsibility during these times behavior would amount to gross negligence and self- Obiter dictum ishness on our part, not to mention a waste of 22 Of wishing and paper and ink. Likewise, consider this edition thanksgiving 23 POPTOWN of TLS as an introduction to the publication’s editorial board for 2008-2009, which will be Cover Credit: Krizia Paras and Airi Bianca Beltran led by Jabin Landayan (Editor in Chief), Car- mela Prado (Associate Editor), and Angela The Velasco (Managing Editor). It is under their leadership and oversight that this issue was LaSallian made possible. | UNIVERSITY Crezzeille Francisco, Zamanta Legados, Gale Maramba, EDITOR IN CHIEF | Paulo Jose Mutuc Carlito Reyes Jr., Loraine Saguinsin, Alliv Samson | MENAGERIE Marie So we end this school year as we began it: ASSOCIATE EDITOR | Alejandro Almendras IV Beatrice Angeles, Marielle Antonio, Gerard Avelino, Ali Caronongan, George Chan Jr., Gianina Densing, Jabin Landayan, Sam Modina, Elvin Ngo, Darcy committed to combating indifference and ig- MANAGING EDITOR | Josef Aaron Lim UNIVERSITY EDITOR | Raymund Cuesico Reburiano, Camille Reyes, Jeffrey Salvado, Rochelle Santos, Aaron Sitosta norance. Trust that The LaSallian--no matter MENAGERIE EDITOR | Angela Velasco | SPORTS Philip Andrew Ang, Dean Cedrick Santos, Johannes Chiong, SPORTS EDITOR | Camille Bianca Pinto Celine Hernandez, Jefferson Quincy Reyes, Christine Marielle Suntay, Michael its form--will remain committed to this cause. Gerard Sy, Katherin Anne Tingzon | PHOTO William Cruz, Erickson Jao, ART & GRAPHICS EDITOR | Carmela Prado Alvin Lau, Ian Meru, Francis Garrucho, Krizia Katrina Paras, Ma. Erika Serrano PHOTO EDITOR | Jennerson Ong | ART & GRAPHICS Kevin Ang, Samantha Ang, Johnalene Baylon, Airi CIRCULATIONS MANAGER | Stacy Ybud Bianca Beltran, Francis Borromeo, Angela Kristine Garcia, Paul Matthew Jiao, OFFICE MANAGER | Krizia Martha Carriaga Jeremy Magnaye, Beatrice Ong, Abdul Onos, Allen Silva | Paulo Jose Mutuc STUDENT PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR Rosanna Luz Valerio DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Fritzie Ian Paz-De Vera Editor in Chief The LaSallian has its editorial office at 502 Bro. Gabriel Connon Hall, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 1004. TLS can be contacted through telephone number 5244611 loc. 701, or through its e-mail address, [email protected]. All contributions are subject to editing for clarity or space. None of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the express written permission of the Editorial Board. 3 UniversityBulletin UNivErSiTy Election 2008: More of the same Santugon Sumilao undeterred, Tapat neutral farmers get he 2008 Student Council General Elec- day of voting, which determined Micaller and Tapat believes that the previous tions (GE) ended much like those of Cagalpin as LA Representatives; Abril and Rel- election had been one of the most difficult their land recent years, with Alyansang Tapat sa lora as Batch President and Executive Vice T and tricky because of the problems that by Crezzeille Francisco Lasallista winning more seats in the Student President respectively. the party had encountered specifically in Council (SC) than Santugon sa Tawag ng Pa- terms of the campaign techniques and nahon. The total disparity between both par- Comelec matters attacks that their political rival has been ties is 18 with Tapat winning 47 seats and San- Also contributing to the delay were the practicing. On the other hand, the party tugon winning 29. hearings of electioneering cases incurred by voiced out that even though they have Tapat was able to retain majority seats in candidates from both parties during the vot- experienced a tremendous blow this the Student Council Executive Board, win- ing period. The COMELEC dropped all 14 past election, the party remained firm to ning five out of the six executive positions, cases after a stipulation in the Election Code its standard by exercising a principled including the Presidency going to incumbent that states that all witnesses presented must campaign that is grounded to its core Vice President for Academics Nicole Villarojo. sign the affidavit relating to a particular com- value – which is education. Aimee Chua is the only Santugon candidate to plaint. Since both parties failed to comply with In contrast with Tapat, Santugon’s be elected into the EB. This is similar to last this requirement, the cases were dropped and exclamation upon hearing the election year’s EB in which Stacy Carbonel (Vice Presi- the results of the elections declared final. results is far different from Tapat’s dent for Operations and Communications) The elections itself were not without its reaction. “Honestly, speechless, I believe, was the lone Santugon candidate elected. share of problems and things to improve on. personally, that it’s not ‘a slap on the face’ Similarly, five out of the six College Assem- Voter turnout did not improve significantly because it was a well-fought battle. With bly President positions were gained by Tapat from last year and did not meet the 80 per- this experience, the party learned so many except for the College of Computer Studies cent that the COMELEC was hoping for. The things on how we can comeback,” said Photo by Jennerson Ong where Santugon Candidate Gil Bautista was counting which was started manually at 1 pm Santugon’s President Francis Angeles in elected. This gives Tapat a total of 10 out of the concluded with the automated counting at an emailed answer to The LaSallian. fter almost 12 years of struggling for Program (CARP). Nineteen landless Sumilao the involvement of the school with the Jun 12 positions in the SC’s Executive Committee. around 8 pm. The counting of ballots was held In addition, Santugon believes that their right, the Sumilao farmers were farmers are now the beneficiaries of the Lozada and NBN – ZTE issue. At the batch level, Tapat were able to win 17 at the eighth floor of the Andrew Hall, and the whatever happened in the elections are finally given a total of 144 hectares of initial 50 hectares while other recipients will She reasoned out that the issue is out of 32 Batch President and 20 out of the 32 COMELEC had strict policies on the number A not going to be a direct hindrance to the land in Bukidnon through a Memorandum still be subjected to screening procedures. pressing yet the students do not feel that Legislative Assembly Representative seats. of representatives from each party and even party. Angeles stated further that Santugon of Agreement signed last March 29 at San The nearly three months backroom it is as relevant as that of Lozada’s call for The release of the official results was de- the publications, allowed on the floor itself. will still continue to pursue its party’s goals Carlos Seminary in Makati. negotiation between the farmers, SMC, truth and it’s now a challenge to SC how to layed from March 17 to March 19 due to ties However, this policy was not maintained until and aspirations despite the poignant blow The upheaval on land ownership and the government was instigated by make every national issue important to the between Dhana Micaller, Kat Cagalpin, both the end of the counting as members of both that the party had just experienced. They started after Norberto Quisimbing, then Manila Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales after students. from Tapat, and Justin Fuentes of Santugon for parties were eventually seen loitering in the believe that this is the perfect time to “prove owner of the property, sold it to San Miguel he expressed his unyielding support for Since there is a lot to learn in every the FOCUS 2006 Legislative Assembly Repre- halls and even had a classroom for each party to the Lasallian community that Santugon Corporation upon successfully gaining the the farmers last December. “It was him who subject, she encouraged the Student sentative seats; and between Dianne Abril and on the floor.