School denies rejecting Governor Imee Marcos
ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U) in La Paz district of Iloilo City has denied reports on social media that it turned down on the 11th hour an earlier reservation for its conference hall, as a venue of an activity for Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos.
In an official statement released Monday (September 10), the ISAT-U, headed by its president, Dr. Raul Muyong, “categorically denies the allegations of some quarters that ISAT-U removed the welcome banner for Gov. Imee Marcos from its main gate.”
It also denied reports that “ISAT-U personnel and students immediately staged a protest rally thereby compelling the governor to abort her consultative meeting/student forum with her supporters at the AVR, N-Building of the said university on the afternoon of Saturday, September 8, 2018.”
Professor Heinz Gumaquil, ISAT-U public information officer, said it was the Society Agri Venture Enterprises, Inc. (SAVE, Inc.) that rented the AVR for the said purpose.
However, due to the Alumni Homecoming of the university scheduled on the same date, the Industry, Linkages and Development Office of the university requested a certain Maria Carina Prias, representative of SAVE Inc., to place Imee’s welcome streamer in front of the venue, as per agreement, rather than putting it on the gate.
Gumaquil also denied that ISAT-U and students participated in the protest action and that there was any protest against Gov. Marcos at all.
Reports had it that there were about 20 individuals, allegedly members of cause oriented groups, who staged the protest rally along Burgos Street, in front of the university’s main gate.
The statement further reads: “The abortion of the consultative meeting/student forum of Gov. Marcos with her constituents was not due to the alleged refusal of ISAT-U personnel of her entry to the premises of the university but rather it was due to hers and her representative’s personal decision.”
The alleged refusal stemmed after a Facebook user claimed that ISAT-U had cancelled Gov. Marcos’ reservation.
The FB post reads: “Today, Iloilo Science and Technology University took a principled stand other schools should follow. Somebody reserved a conference hall without identifying what is it for and who will be the guest. On the day of the affair, school officials and students were surprised to find a streamer on its’main gate welcoming Gov. Imee Marcos.
“Even with a police advance party present already, ISAT-U people quickly took down the streamer and picketed, forcing Marcos to abort the affair. This is one place of learning that won’t take historical revisionism. Never again to a Marcos.”