**A. Backgrounders**

Through Archie Bergosa's post on the "Speak Up: Campus Journalism Community" (FB), I came to know of a May 23, 2026 post by the Forum-Dimensions (the official student publication of the West Visayas State University). The news post, among other things, states:  

>**‘Regulating’ the fourth estate**

>Aside from the restructuring of councils, a provision enabling USC to 'regulate' student publications also appeared in the proposed constitution.
>
>This provision was said to be enforced in cases when 'public interest or safety so requires.'
>
>Interest groups, including university-based and college-based organizations, would also fall under the 'oversight' of the USG.

>The same draft, however, states under Article IV, Section 8 that no law, policy, or regulation shall be passed violating the freedoms of speech, expression, and the student press.

In an erratum, the Forum-Discussions corrected the citation to the article and section number.

**B. No Student Council, any other student organization, or school administration can regulate the campus publication because it would violate RA 7079's Section 4, which establishes the Editorial Board's independence.**

**The Supreme Court website's copy of RA 7079 states:**

>SEC. 4. Student Publication. - A student publication is published by the student body through an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected by fair and competitive examinations.
>
>**Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies and manage the publication's funds.** [Boldfacing supplied] 

**RA 7079's Section 4 is echoed in the Implementing Rules and Regulations in Rule IV, Section 2, which states:**

>Section 2.  Student Publication — There shall be three categories of student publications, namely: a) elementary level student publication; (b) secondary level student publication; and (c) tertiary level student publication.
>
>Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies and manage the publication's funds."

**B-1. The Forum-Dimensions news post points out (in a wrongly cited article and section) that:**

>The same draft, however, states under Article IV, Section 8 that no law, policy, or regulation shall be passed violating the freedoms of speech, expression, and the student press.

**This caveat, qualifier, or condition (aka "colatilla" in Philippine legal terminology) on the proposed Student Council's regulation of the campus publication will not make the proposed regulation of the campus publication any less violative of RA 7079's Section 4.**

**C. The terms "Editorial Board" and "editorial policies" are defined in RA 7079's Section 3, paragraphs (d) and (e).**

**Section 3, paragraph (d):**

>Editorial Board. - In the tertiary level, the editorial board shall be composed of student journalists who have qualified in placement examinations.  In the case of elementary and high school levels, the editorial board shall be composed of a duly appointed faculty adviser, the editor who qualified and a representative of the Parents-Teachers' Association, who will determine the editorial policies to be implemented by the editor and staff members of the student publication concerned.
>
>At the tertiary level, the editorial board may include a publication adviser at the option of its members.

**Section 3, paragraph (e):**

>Editorial Policies. - A set of guidelines by which a student publication is operated and managed, taking into account pertinent laws as well as the school administration's policies.  Said guidelines shall determine the frequency of publication, the manner of selecting articles and features and other similar matters.

**D. In a conflict between the college or university administration's policies set forth in its student manual or handbook and the editorial policies of the Editorial Board, which will prevail?**

**In a previous post, I said:**

>No case has yet reached the Supreme Court involving the issue of which will prevail in case of a conflict between the college or university administration's policies set forth in its student manual or handbook and the editorial policies of the Editorial Board. In our system of laws, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of what the law is. As US Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson said, 'The [Supreme] Court is not final because it is infallible; it is infallible because it is final.'

RA 7079 "Campus Journalism Act of 1991": Student Council cannot regulate the campus publication when "public interest or safety so requires" because it would violate RA 7079's Section 4, which establishes the Editorial Board's independence.