MORE THAN two weeks after the death of Physical Therapy (PT) senior Junver Toledo, the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) called on Thomasians to engage in collaboration and open communication, saying blaming teachers for his passing without full context or due process can be harmful.
USTFU said Toledo’s death should not be blamed on faculty members as they bear the responsibility of upholding and maintaining academic standards, especially in the fields of public health and safety.
“These standards are not arbitrary; they are vital to ensuring that graduates are competent and prepared for the demands of their profession,” USTFU said in a statement issued on Monday, June 2.
“Mental health crises are complex and multifaceted. It is unfair—and potentially harmful—to reduce such a tragic loss to a single academic outcome or to assign direct blame to individual faculty members without the benefit of full context or due process,” it added.
Toledo, a College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) senior, took his own life on May 17 after failing a subject for the second time, according to a note he had left that was posted by his father on social media.
Three days after Toledo’s death, the University released a statement extending its condolences to his family and expressing readiness to provide mental health services and support to Thomasians.
On May 22, Toledo’s brother-in-law, Marwin Pascua, assailed the University’s response to the incident and dismissed it as a “damage control” to uphold its reputation.
“Have some compassion. Take accountability. You’re making it sound like a ‘you’ problem instead of owning [up] to it, to your faculty’s incompetence. I feel no sympathy at all from your official statement, it’s all just damage control. Stop…the lies (to) protect the name of your institution if you ever truly cared about your students,” Pascua said.
According to Pascua, Toledo was previously in constant communication with CRS, which allegedly declined his plea for additional projects to improve his grade. No University official informed Toledo’s family about his “alarming” situation, he added.
USTFU urged Thomasians to prioritize collaboration and constructive conversations that would build an environment that supports mental health and holistic care. Academic standards, the faculty union said, should be accompanied by support systems that acknowledge the mental and emotional struggles of students.
“Let us not allow this moment to be defined by division or blame, but rather by compassion, empathy, and a collective commitment to improve our educational environment…Together, we can act with integrity and wisdom, ensuring that the memory of Junver Toledo inspires us to build a more supportive and understanding community for all,” USTFU said.
USTFU represents more than 1,300 members of the academic staff across various colleges. F
