A MONTH after the tragic death of University of Santo Tomas Physical Therapy student Junver Toledo, a coalition of UST students and youth leaders has submitted a position paper to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), urging an urgent investigation into the university and a comprehensive review of the country’s prevailing neoliberal education policies.

The position paper, filed with the knowledge and support of Junver’s family, accuses UST of institutional failure and calls on CHED to hold the university accountable for what the complainants describe as a systemic disregard for student welfare.

At the core of their appeal is a demand for accountability—not only from UST, but from a national education system that, they argue, prioritizes performance metrics and global competitiveness over student well-being.

“It has been a month since Junver took his own life after receiving a contested failing grade, and yet there has been no meaningful response. No reforms. Only silence,” the statement reads. “This tragedy exposes an education system that has long been broken.”

The complainants link Junver’s death to the intense pressure and lack of institutional support under the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) framework, institutionalized by CHED through Memorandum Order No. 46, Series of 2012.

They argue that this system, shaped by neoliberal principles, has transformed education into a competitive race and reduced students to mere statistics.

“We are no longer taught to learn out of passion or to serve our communities, but to meet the demands of the global market,” the position paper asserts. “In this system, performance is valued over well-being. We are expected to produce without rest, support, or compassion.”

The group is calling for reforms that go beyond symbolic gestures, emphasizing the need for accessible and empathetic mental health support, responsive educators, and educational institutions that prioritize care and compassion.

“No grade should ever cost a life,” the complainants wrote, echoing the rallying cry behind the growing #JusticeForJunver and #BeAccountableUST campaigns.

The initiative is led by concerned UST students and youth leaders affiliated with Kabataan Partylist, with Raven Kristine Racelis serving as the group’s official spokesperson.

As public pressure mounts and students across the country continue to express solidarity, the group vows to keep pressing forward.

“We owe it to Junver. We owe it to every student who has been silenced, dismissed, or left behind,” the statement concludes. “Until justice is served, until changes are made, we will not stop speaking. We will not stop fighting.”