By Kayel Salvador | September 8, 2024
Last September 4, 2024, the College Student Council of the School of Arts and Sciences (CSC-SAS) deleted its merchandise post for SAS Days and received criticisms for projecting a social issue as a joke.
With SAS Days fast approaching, the council has begun promoting its merchandise that students can wear for the two-day event. However, in an attempt to garner attention, they edited Alice Guo’s face, as if she’s ‘modeling’ the shirt, and included a jesting caption about her.
Alice Guo whose real name is Guo Hua Ping is the infamous ex-mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, and a fugitive, who was arrested in the city of Tangerang, Indonesia on September 4, 2024. Guo is now convicted of money laundering, ties with Chinese Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) cases, and citizenship fraud.
On September 5, 2024, the council took down the post and published a press release, taking regret and accountability for their actions.
“Although the post is effective in gaining traction from our social media followers, our post should not have been made lightly. We have come to a realization and we would like to extend our apology for these mishaps. We acknowledge that our attempt to gain such traction fell short of our expectations and failed to consider its broader impact.” The council explained in their statement.
The Nexus has reached out to CSC-SAS for an interview to acquire further information about their reasons and measures before posting. As well as additional insights about their behavior concerning the Alice Guo case. As of writing, the publication has yet to receive a response from them.
Despite their success in attracting the students, several of them have expressed their shock and criticized the council for heedlessly humoring Guo’s issue.
“Using social issues like Alice Guo's case to draw attention should be handled with extreme caution, as it involves serious matters such as human trafficking. It is inappropriate to dismiss such concerns as a joke. In my opinion, humor should not be employed when involving the Philippines' or its citizens' safety. These are significant issues that require respect and sensitivity.” A second-year Psychology student elaborated in her interview.
They also mentioned how they could utilize known personality figures in their post such as Queen Dura to promote their product, instead of a convicted criminal. Another suggestion was to have students from the department model the shirt as an alternative.
The interviewees also highlighted the significance of the council’s reputation as student leaders and should use their platform to educate their audience about social issues like this.
“Especially, campaign ‘yon. So why would they use Alice Guo as their model just to… gain attention.” Francheska Del Rosario, a second-year BA Communication stated. “Attention—ang dali-dali nalang niyan, pero to use someone na ikukulong or meroon malaking accountability, lalo na sa Pilipinas yan. It’s a really no-no. As student council, they should really be the model. Lalo na… hindi lang sila yung nasira, kumbaga nasisira din yung image ng school natin.”
“It's great if student councils can entertain and educate at the same time. However, they should carefully consider what they post, as they represent a student government organization. It is important for them to take their role seriously by knowing what topics are appropriate for humor and which ones require a more serious approach. Balancing this helps maintain their credibility while still effectively engaging with their audience.” The second-year Psych student added.
Del Rosario also felt their press release to be enough in taking accountability but advised them to be more careful next time. Meanwhile, the second-year Psych student expounded on how the council’s statement felt short.
“While it is admirable that they took accountability, the press release wasted an essential opportunity. Instead of simply apologizing, they could have explained why the post was removed and used the chance to educate their audience on the Alice Guo issue. This would have supplied further context and demonstrated a greater awareness of the severity of the issue, making the apology more meaningful.” The second-year Psych student said.
Both interviews ended with the students emphasizing the impact of such actions to those interacting with it, especially, when it’s not dealt with sensitivity and should not be ‘trivialized,’ whenever speaking out about it.
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