Students disrupt House deliberations on proposed P2.0Tr budget

STUDENT PROTEST. NUSP Secretary General Isabelle Baguisi talks to reporters outside the House of Representatives after she and other student militants disrupted the plenary deliberations for the proposed P2.0 trillion national budget Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012. KAREN BONCOCAN

MANILA, Philippines — Plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives on the proposed P2.006 trillion national budget for 2013 on Tuesday was disrupted by disgruntled student militants.

Members of Anakbayan and the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) stood up inside the plenary and shouted protests on the proposed P37.1 billion budget for State Universities and Colleges which they said was inadequate.

NUSP Secretary General Isabelle Baguisi told reporters, after being dragged along with other student protesters out of the Batasan Pambansa Complex, that their outburst was due to a congressman who expressed gratitude towards President Benigno Aquino III on the floor, which they said was “insulting” considering that the budget given wasn’t enough.

“There aren’t enough teachers, books so why are they reducing the budget?” Baguisi said.

“This is insulting. The SUCs aren’t begging,” she said.

Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casino told reporters on the sidelines that the student militants’ demands were justified since the SUCs initially asked for a P54 billion increase which was slashed down to P37.1 billion.

“We will introduce amendments to the budget to restore the amount that was reduced,” he said.