Lawmaker seeks probe of Cagayan coeds’ exclusion

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Sarah Elago of the Kabataan party-list said she would seek a congressional investigation into the exclusion of nine students after they led a campaign demanding that St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province refund unused fees in their tuition.

At a press conference on Sunday, Elago said she would also seek a probe of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and its mandate after it allegedly failed to act on the students’ complaint.

“The rules and regulations in schools need to comply with the Constitution and human rights guaranteed by our [Constitution],” Elago said.

“I do not understand how the St. Paul administration could kick out students in the time of a pandemic, when there is a need for compassion and when families are struggling due to a crisis triggered by the pandemic. The students merely asked for transparency,” said one of the students, Wildae Trinidad, a former public administration sophomore.

The dispute erupted when  parents asked that the university, owned and run by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, provide a breakdown of fees.

But the university refused to heed the call for transparency so a parent wrote to the CHEd on June 23 asking the office to act on the lack of breakdown of school fees, which also reflected their concerns on transparency.

The expelled students then embarked on a social media and email campaign to pressure SPUP to be more transparent but the school refused and instead expelled the students on Sept. 21.

Incriminating questions

When asked to explain the exclusion, the university wrote students and parents that the students committed a violation of the student manual that was punishable with “exclusion,” which would prohibit a student from finishing the term.

But students countered that the school manual only mandated suspension as a “punishment” for such offense and claimed that SPUP subjected them to an unjust investigation.

“Students were asked to come to the campus only to explain their participation in the campaign. The meeting was full of incriminating questions with no space left for students to assert their concerns and defend themselves,” Trinidad said.

Some were even summoned to the dean’s office while Tuguegarao was on lockdown.

When the matter was brought to the CHEd, the agency replied that it only had “very limited power” and could only intervene if there was any violation of procedural due process that St. Paul administrators committed while investigating the case.

But Elago said the Kabataan party list would help the students in pursuing the matter.

“The filing of a verified complaint would be up to the students. If they decide that they need to file a formal complaint, then Kabataan will support them in their initiative to hold St. Paul responsible and accountable,” the congresswoman said.