STUDENT BODIES of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) denounced the Sunday decision of the University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association, Inc. (UST-AAI) to honor Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson with a government service award.
In a statement, the AB Student Council “strongly urged” the UST-AAI to revoke Uson’s award despite the alumni association’s insistence that the honor inspires recipients to live the Thomasian core values.
“The ABSC still highly believes that she does not deserve to receive any form of award, which entails a reward for her merits; let alone be recognized by the University as a notable alumn[a],” the statement read.
The UST Journalism Society branded the award as “a serious insult” to other Thomasians who are serving the government, justifying that Uson’s actions do not represent the Thomasian core values of compassion, competence, and commitment.
“Awards are meant to commend or highlight an achievement, a heroic act or an extraordinary feat. We wonder if the UST Alumni Association, Inc. now considers spreading misleading views as commendable acts,” the society said.
‘Hasty explanation’
Concerned Artlets alumni pointed out in a Facebook post flaws in UST-AAI’s statement on the award. The alumni association named Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez as “Ramon Nolasco” and claimed that recipients of the honor came from the “four levels of the government.”
“Sorry, you don’t recognize people hoping to inspire them but for others to emulate them […] A hastily-written letter of explaining the unexplainable. You should all resign,” the statement read.
UST released a media advisory asserting that the award for Uson came from the UST-AAI, which is a separate entity from the University.
Uson is known for her strong pro-administration statements and fake news propagated on her blog.
She earned a degree in medical technology from UST. F
