Lacson says only poor but deserving students should benefit from free tuition law

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday only poor and deserving students should benefit from the law providing free tuition for state universities and colleges (SUCs).

"Kailangan, malinaw sa IRR (implementing rules and regulations) na mga deserving students," Lacson told radio dzBB.

"Kung gagastusan ng pamahalaan yung mga bulakbulero, bulakbulera at mga bobong estudyante, hindi naman siguro nararapat yun. Dapat yung mga mahihirap at mga deserving na estudyante," he added.

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 10931 or the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act," which grants free tuition for SUCs, local universities and colleges and technical-vocational institutions.

But Lacson said there should also be a mechanism to filter students who really deserve free tuition so that the government will not spend too much.

"Dapat salain din. Otherwise napakalaki ng gagastusin natin. E kung paulit-ulit, nakakalimang taon na first year college pa rin, hindi naman tayo papayag doon," he said.

Congress should also have an oversight body to see if the law is being implemented properly, Lacson said.

"Kailangan may oversight ang Kongreso para makita na yung batas ay masusunod din," he said. —Erwin Colcol/ALG, GMA News