Bestlink school denies claims of botched Bataan activity, calls it false
Bestlink College of the Philippines (Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City-based Bestlink College of the Philippines dismissed reports that its off-campus activity at a resort in Bataan was botched as “disinformation.”
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) earlier noted that students of the college experienced “severe logistical problems and safety concerns, with many students stranded for hours with no transportation to go back to Manila during the activity.”
READ: Ched probes botched ‘unauthorized’ Bestlink activity in Bataan
“We wish to clarify that these reports are not true, fabricated as they are, since they do not reflect what had actually happened on the ground at the time,” Bestlink said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
“We strongly feel that this misinformation/disinformation was deliberately made by some quarters, with the intent to publicly tarnish the good image and reputation of our esteemed institution,” the college added.
Article continues after this advertisementBestlink labelled the supposed logistical problems as “unforeseen circumstances in the coordination of the event and transport service providers hired,” saying that the college was determining the cause for the fiasco.
Article continues after this advertisement“We wish to emphasize that the Administrators have always put utmost priority and consideration to the safety and welfare of the students, before, during, and after the event,” Bestlink maintained.
“We fully sympathize with the students for what they went through, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this event may have caused not only to our students and their families, but also to the residents of Punta Belle in Hermosa, Bataan,” it stressed.
The college added that it was “open for any independent fact-finding investigation,” suggesting that the probe be done by the local government of Hermosa, “which has adequate, relevant, and material information on the matter.”
On Tuesday, Ched issued a show-cause order against Bestlink’s administration, prompted by alleged failure to submit required documents to the commission about the activity.
Further, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced that the city council will investigate the incident in aid of legislation.
READ: Bus crash death toll hits 15; teacher among dead
Bestlink previously caught heat in 2017, when a bus crash during their camping activity left 15 people dead and 40 injured.