Flunking law students sue FEU deans, profs

Ten law students of the Far Eastern University (FEU) lodged yesterday a complaint against their dean, associate dean and two professors before the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for alleged irregularity.

The complainants, headed by Artemio Urriza Jr., alleged that they were supposed to graduate last schoolyear but unduly failed in two to three subjects taught by professors Ed Vincent Albano and Japar Dimaampao.

Aside from Albano and Dimaampao, the other respondents were Andres Bautista, dean of FEU's Institute of Law and Teresita Cruz, associate dean.

In their letter of complaint, the students said they unduly received failing grades in Civil Law Review 2, Commercial Law Review and Remedial Law subjects.

"We firmly believe that we all passed our subjects and are very qualified to graduate but because of the whimsical and deliberate intentions of a 'triumvirate conspiracy' headed by our dean, Andres Bautista, together with our two professors, we became victims of injustices," they said.

But Bautista denied the complainants' allegations as he maintained that the ten deserved to flunk in these subjects.

"We held a faculty deliberation on the second week of March. Professors then expressed reservations among some students, including them (complainants). It was decided that they need to take up these subjects again," he added.

Bautista said that faculty deliberation is conducted to enable professors to collectively discuss the status of students. He also denied the complainants' accusation that he "purposely abolished" the Appeals Committee, a forum where students can file their grievances.

"I cannot abolish something that has not been constituted. We are planning to put up this Committee only this coming schoolyear. There is no truth to their allegations," he added.