Photo by: Janine Perea

To finally discuss the issues surrounding the AB community, the faculty student council (ABSC) held a face to face dialogue event with the board of management, administrators and selected AB students with their Speak Up Forum at AB Rizal Hall, February 10. Although it is a talk between students and admins, the absence of the faculty dean, Michael Anthony Vasco, who was expected to be a part of the said dialogue was intrigued. "Is there a particular thing na itinatago niya sa amin? Bakit parang lagi siyang (Vasco) umiiwas?" Marcelli Papas, The Flame writer, asked the administrator. "Since two of our admins are already here, we need someone to supervise the office during their absence," ABSC Vice-President External Krystyna Nicole Feliciano explained.

Photo by: Janine Perea

The AB community was given the chance to ask the ABSC and the administrators limiting to one question per student and no follow-up questions are to be answered. Also, the AB COMELEC members filtered questions from the drop box outside the ABSC office. After almost 3 months, the student council voiced out their stand about the lost P50,000 which was supposed to be used for the Athena Cup, NGO fair and the Staff's General Assembly.

Photo by: Janine Perea

"Yung nawalang 50k, hindi siya naging hindrance sa performance at duties ng ating konseho," ABSC President Marie Jann Klaire Lazo stated. "Lahat naman tayo dito tao. Lahat naman tayo dito nagkakamali." Feliciano added. ABSC Vice-President Internal Dominic Castro also said that they are just ordinary students and they were just given the opportunity to serve. Also, he added that as students, they need to attend to their academic standings as well and cannot devote their full time as student leaders. From the statement given by the council last November 22, the lost fund was said to be gone last October 23. And when asked about what the council members did during that day, each of them responded saying that they were attending personal matters and was not present at the ABSC office at the day of the incident. As a to not have the same mistake, Asian Studies Society President Allen Amarillas suggested that the council should install CCTV cameras inside the office. But Assistant Dean Nancy Tabirara disagreed with Amarillas' statement saying that CCTV cameras are prohibited inside offices. The issue about the late opening of bank account was also brought up. "Summer before the start of the school year pa lang inaayos na namin. Pero pabago-bago ng requirements kaya hindi namin siya agad naayos," council treasurer Julienne Avila stated. "You are a student council and not an event organizer," John Magsombol, organization committee, said implying that the council should held more responsibility to gain credibility. Aside from the lost money, issues such as the Type B uniform was also opened up. ABSC defended that they still need to finalize whether they should require the students to buy the uniform knowing that this will just add to their expenses. Other matters surrounding the AB community were also tackled in the forum and the council and administrators answered each question thrown in by the students.