Student protesters cause ruckus at House hearing on free tuition

Tensions rose at the hearing of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education on Monday after progressive student leaders aggressively demanded the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to refund students for the tuition fee they paid for the current semester.

This, in pursuant to RA 10931, or Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which provides free tuition to students enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

The House panel was conducting an inquiry into the implementation of P8 billion free tuition policy for the first semester of academic year 2017-2018.

During the hearing, Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago asked CHED officer-in-charge Prospero De Vera if the commission was willing to refund the tuition fee that students paid for the second semester of the current academic year.

Elago pointed out that the law on free tuition is already in effect and the implementing rules and regulations for it have already been issued.

De Vera said that while the provisions of RA 10931 cover the current semester, Congress did not allocate funds to implement the law. The allocation started in 2018, he said.

"So if you want to reimburse the payment for the second semester starting November, Congress should have allocated funds for that purpose," he said.

"We can implement it only this coming school year," he added.

In the middle of the hearing, student leaders were allowed to participate and ask questions.

One of them, Raoul Manuel, deputy secretary general of the National Union of the Students of the Philippines, shared the thoughts and opinions of his fellow students who have long been clamoring for free education.

"Nakakalungkot na kahit kami yung primary beneficiary ng batas na ito ay kami pa yung hinaharangan na makapasok sa venue na ito," he said.

Manuel claimed that one student in Cagayan State University has committed suicide for not being able to pay his tuition fees.

He also said that the IRR on the free tuition law has been ready since October.

"At yung nilabas na very delayed, naglagay pa ng kung anu-anong restrictions. As if yung karapatan ng mga students to free education ay utang na loob natin sa gobyerno na ito," he said.

Manuel then pressed De Vera if CHED would refund students of their tuition, demanding him to answer "yes" or "no" even if the latter could make a response.

This irked De Vera. "Please allow me to answer. You asked me to answer but you don't allow me to answer. Do you want my answer or not? Please some respect."

"CHED is willing to sit down with the leadership of the House, of DBM to see if we can legally reimburse prior to June. It is not my decision solely, it has fiscal implications for DBM. If it's acceptable, then we are open to it," he added.

However, due to time constraints, presiding officer Zamboanga City Representative Manuel Jose Dalipe declared the hearing adjourned.

The students then began shouting: "Libreng edukasyon! Walang kondisyon!"

 

Tensions rise at the House panel inquiry on the implementation of free tuition after student leaders were escorted out of the session hall when they aired their grievances on the said policy. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/WQi9AF3JWa

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) March 19, 2018

 

House security officials escorted them out of the session hall.

Outside the hall, the other students who left inside the holding areas argued that they were illegally detained inside the room.

House Sergeant-at-Arms Roland Detabali told the students that they could be charged for interfering with the proceedings of the committee.

All students were escorted by security officials out of the building.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 10931 in August last year which mandates the government to provide free tuition in state universities and colleges. —JST, GMA News