In the year 1977, Brothers of the Alpha Phi Omega- Eta Chapter of UP Diliman dared to

defy the status quo. As a challenge against the dictatorial rule, they ran naked to promote the film,
“Hubad na Bayani”, a film exposing various human rights violations that transpired during the
Martial rule.
This 2016, we are again called by our noble principles to stand up for the Filipino People.
We face issues of entitlement, of uncertainty, of injustice and of conflict; and it is in these times
that we dare to be bold. As Leaders, Friends, and of Service to the people, we ought to be political
and active, as we join the struggle of the basic masses for their democratic rights.
The Duterte Administration made it a campaign promise to bring change. However, change
has yet to be realized, in assessment of his first 100 days as President. Duterte launched a bloody
war on drugs at the expense of individual rights, decided eccentrically on social policies, and
promised an Independent Foreign Policy, but to no avail.
This administration made a firm stance to push through with the ongoing peace
negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, and to address the roots of the armed conflict. We believe
that such political move gives much space for genuine reforms, and thus, we, as Iskolar ng Bayan
must ensure maximum engagement in these negotiations.
A Call to Uphold Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
In 1998, the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect of Human Rights and International
Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) was signed, signifying the success of the first round of the peace
process. The CARHRIHL ensures respect for basic human rights, and to make human rights
violators accountable by probing on all cases of violations. It seeks to assert the rights of victims
and survivors of Human Rights Violations to seek for indemnification.
While the government was active in freeing political prisoners and peace panel consultants,
the culture of impunity remains the same. Human Rights Violators receive entitlements as Heroes-
something that they will never deserve. A number of political detainees are still in prison. Red-
tagging is still rampant, especially in schools, where they target progressive student-leaders.
Militarization is unrestrained in communities and schools, ingraining fear and displacement among
IP groups.
We commemorate the death of our Brother, Cris Hugo, of the Gamma Omicron Chapter of
the Bicol University. A regional coordinator and national council member of the League of Filipino
Students (LFS), Brod Cris was killed by the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Administration for being
vocal and active in organizing the students and workers sector of the Bicol Region.
We call to uphold respect for basic human rights to express and organize, and put to an end
all forms of extra-judicial killings. We demand justice and accountability to Human Rights
Violators, those who perpetuate a culture of impunity. They will never be heroes, because true
heroes emanate from the ranks of those who struggle with the masses.
A Call to Uphold Students’ and People’s Rights and Welfare
 The struggle for genuine peace and justice starts in demanding socio-economic reforms
that will truly benefit the Filipino people. The Comprehensive Agreement of Socio-Economic
Reforms (CASER) is currently up for discussion, aiming to resolve historical and structural
inequalities in the Philippine Society.
The CASER asserts the need to pursue economic sovereignty by pursuing national
industrialization and genuine land reform. For a long period of time, the national economy has
always favored the few, and it is our fight to bring it back to the people. If the Duterte
Administration truly claims that he is for the people, he must cut ties with imperialist and oligarchic
relations, and side with the interests of the basic sectors of the masses.
We call for genuine land reform that will truly benefit the farmers. For a long period of
time, the legislature has been dominated by domestic landlords who control and own the lands that
our farmers till every day. Genuine Agrarian Reform programs are yet to be crafted, and the
struggle to bring back the lands to the farmers remain dynamic.
We demand respect for the environment and end imperialist plunder of our natural
resources. The Philippines rich in resources, but the Filipino nation remains poor. The massive
large-scale mining in Nueva Vizcaya, regions in the Cordillera and Mindanao remains destructive
to the environment and leads to the displacement of local communities. The Mining Act of 1995
favors mining companies over the locals. It is through instituting genuine socio-economic reforms
that we can enjoy sustainable growth, without the expense of the environment.
We are one with the struggles of the Indigenous Peoples and National Minorities, in their
demand for Land, Life and Self-Determination. The respect for Ancestral Domains must always
be upheld, as we demand for socio-economic reforms. The lives and cultures of our national
minorities will always be rooted in their ancestral lands, and in support of their identities, we must
be one with them in their fight.
As students, we call to stop neoliberal policies that plague our educational system. Tuition
Fee increase and budget cuts will always burden the students’ right to education. As we assert for
greater state subsidy, we also demand the government to uphold that education is a right, and to
make education free for the Filipino youth.
Dare to be bold, Dare to struggle, Dare to win.
As we reaffirm our pledge to serve our Fraternity, our School, the Youth of the Community
and the Nation, we, Alpha Phi Omegans must always be involved in