DFA: CHED should pay expenses of repatriated students

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. called out Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) chair Prospero De Vera for suggesting that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should shoulder the quarantine expenses of repatriated Filipino students.

Aside from the more than 20,000 overseas Filipino workers repatriated in the past seven weeks due to the COVID-19 lockdown, dozens of students have also been airlifted since their internships abroad were abruptly canceled, and were required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Most of them have to be housed temporarily, with the CHEd chair asking the DFA to take responsibility.

“NO way, HOSAY!” Locsin tweeted on Wednesday, adding that it was “illegal” for DFA to spend its Assistance-to-Nationals funds, which had been used to cover repatriation expenses, within the country.

“That’s CHEd’s responsibility and sole expense. Reach into your deep pockets,” Locsin said. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan