MANILA, Philippines – Criticizing the government should not be used as basis for revoking the scholarships of state scholars, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said Friday.
The CHR issued the statement after National Youth Commission (NYC) chairperson Ronald Cardema called on President Rodrigo Duterte to rescind the scholarships of “anti-government” students.
READ: NYC chair: Remove scholarships of ‘anti-government’ students
CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said that criticizing government and demanding remedies are parts of democracy and guaranteed by the Constitution.
“These should not be used as basis to strip off deserving students access to education through scholarships,” she added.
De Guia also noted that it is likewise important to “recognize the people’s right to self-organization and freedom of association” as long as it is within the limits of the law.
“The Commission on Human Rights reminds the government of its obligation to serve the people – not the other way around,” De Guia stressed.
“As such, it is important to continuously seek ways on how to improve access to education envisioned to hone critical, productive citizens meant to benefit the entire nation,” she added./gsg