Silent crisis in AMV

As a proud UST-AMV graduate and now a practicing accountant, I was deeply saddened by what my nephew, a senior in AMV, recently shared. He told me that cheating has become rampant in their batch and worse, it often goes unpunished. One senior student, under S_phi_ M., widely known among their peers for chronic cheating, continues to get away with it and is even on track to graduate with Latin honors.

He said it feels unfair. That no matter how hard the honest students work, cheaters still rise and the system seems to turn a blind eye. He told me, “Parang mas okay pang mangopya, nakakapasa pa sila.” That broke me.

How did we get here?

We were taught that integrity was non-negotiable, especially in the field of accountancy where trust is everything. But when cheaters are rewarded and the honest are left discouraged, we’re sending a dangerous message: that dishonesty pays off.

To the students: I know the pressure is immense, and I understand how tempting shortcuts may seem. But no grade, award, or recognition is worth the cost of your integrity. Someday, clients and firms will depend on your honesty, not your transcript.

To the faculty and admin: Please, hear your students. Look closer. This isn’t just student drama, it’s a crisis of values. When cheaters go unpunished, it discourages those who strive to do right. Uphold our standards. Act fairly and firmly.

Because if our students lose faith in fairness, and choose to cheat just to survive, we all lose.