UST students walk out, demand accountability for flood control corruption

Despite heavy rain, students of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) staged a walkout protest on Monday, September 29, to denounce corruption and call for accountability in government, including in the controversial flood control projects that have recently come under Senate scrutiny.

Chanting “Mga kurakot, go to jail!”—a rhyming twist on their iconic “Go Uste!” cheer, Thomasians gathered at the UST Plaza Mayor to voice their outrage over the misuse of public funds. The protest carried particular weight for the UST community, as the university is located in one of the most flood-prone areas in Metro Manila and has long suffered from inundation during heavy rains.

“Alam naman natin ang UST ay isa sa laging apektado ng baha at mismong mga students ay nakakaranas nito,” said UST Central Student Council president Annie Nicholle Agon in an interview with GMA News Online.

(We all know UST is often affected by flooding, and students themselves experience it.)

Agon said frustration among students goes beyond flood control, pointing to a broader anger over corruption and the misuse of public money for personal gain instead of essential public services. 

She also criticized Thomasian alumni in government who are allegedly involved in the controversy, saying, “Dapat talaga i-shame sila… gumraduate lang ba sila para magpakayaman?”

(They should definitely be shamed… did they graduate just to enrich themselves?)

The students also used the protest to call for the protection of academic and press freedom, warning against attempts to silence dissent. 

“Historically, nakita na natin paano sinusup ang mga students na bumoboses sa katiwalian,” Agon said.

(Historically, we’ve seen how students who speak out against corruption are suppressed.)

She added that even if attempts were made to stop them, “hindi po magpapapigil ang galit ng mga Tomasino.”

(The anger of Thomasians cannot be stopped.)

Agon described the demonstration as “historical,” noting that it was the first major walkout by UST students in decades. The last was in 2001, when students protested following the death of Mark Welson Chua, who exposed corruption in the mandatory ROTC program. That movement eventually contributed to the abolition of mandatory ROTC.

“Historical din ito… after ilang years ay nakapag-walkout muli ang mga Tomasino,” Agon said. (This is also historic—after many years, Thomasians have once again walked out.)

Earlier today, students of the Far Eastern University (FEU) also staged a walkout protest calling on the public to stand against corruption.

— BM, GMA Integrated News