Corruption in student orgs only ‘tip of iceberg’—former UP student leader

A former University of the Philippines student leader revealed that the recent controversy surrounding the resignation of a Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) student leader goes beyond the issue of corruption, saying it is a common occurrence in student councils that are led by “activist organizations.” 

On Friday, John Christian Robles, a Junior Council Officer from the PUP Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM), resigned his post, citing internal mismanagement, dismissiveness from fellow officers, exploitation, and alleged corruption within the organization.

In a resignation letter he publicly posted on Facebook, Robles claimed that student council funds (SCF) were being mishandled and selectively disbursed in favor of groups closely aligned with the SKM leadership. 

Bert, a former student council officer from the University of the Philippines in Diliman—but from the same student political network as SKM—spoke to Kontra Kwento on condition of anonymity. Their testimony corroborates Robles’ claims, suggesting this is a systemic practice across various schools where political groups aligned with “activist organizations” dominate student councils.

“In my time as a councilor, we used funds of the student council to secretly finance Kabataang Makabayan* (KM) cultural activities. These are events that aim to recruit students into the underground movement, and eventually into the NPA (New People’s Army),” they admitted.

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In his post, Robles questioned the inconsistencies in the releases of funds of SKM. “Sa mga university-wide events, lagi nalang naka-freeze ang SCF at walang disbursing officer kaya walang pondong nilalabas—pero kapag sa organisasyong dikit ng konseho, nilalakad at hinahabol pa?” Robles wrote. [During university-wide events, the SCF is always frozen and there's no disbursing officer, so no funds get released—but when it’s an organization close to the council, the processing gets pushed through and even rushed.] 

Robles referred specifically to Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (SAMASA) PUP, a political party within the university, and its upcoming leadership convention. He alleged that the SKM was misrepresenting the event as a council initiative to justify the use of council funds, even though the activity was, according to him, intended to celebrate SAMASA PUP’s anniversary.

He further revealed that he had learned of the event only through internal council documents, claiming that SKM officers had failed to make any formal announcements or secure student body approval.

Robles also raised concerns over the ethical implications of allowing a partisan organization to access public student funds.

“The SKM has a hidden agenda,” he wrote in his social media post.

Bert, meanwhile, recalled that a former chairperson from their local student council (who later joined the NPA), aligned with the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND UP), once led donation drives for disaster victims and indigenous peoples. However, Bert noted that the funds were never properly liquidated.

“He was asked to account for the proceeds, but couldn’t do so,” Bert said. The unliquidated funds, they revealed, were used to bankroll the activities of their local KM chapter.

The rival political party exposed the misuse of funds during the following student council elections, which Bert said caused STAND UP’s local chapter to lose several seats.

Bert revealed that cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) embedded within student councils in various schools and universities in the National Capital Region carry out the Party’s directives in ensuring that student activities serve the organizing and campaigns of the underground movement. “This also includes ensuring that it is the Party branch within student councils in some schools and universities that has the discretion over which activities are to be funded,” they added.

Familiar modus

According to Bert, the CPP, through its Party branch in the council and other organizations, influences student councils by identifying and training student leaders early, then supporting their political campaigns to secure majority control in student councils.

“Once they are cadres of the Party, they are commanded to run in student elections,” they explained. “The aim is not just to recruit students through council-backed events but also to leverage council resources—money, venues, influence—for Party purposes.”

Bert said that what is happening in PUP today, as revealed by Mr. Robles, is not an isolated incident. They said that as long as there are Party elements in student organizations in schools and universities like UP and PUP, stories of corruption to benefit the CPP-NPA-NDFP will continue to undermine the credibility of student activism.  

*Kabataang Makabayan is a member-organization of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Both are designated by the Anti Terrorism Council as terrorist organizations.