SUCs' budget slash blamed for Kristel's death

MANILA,  Philippines - Lawmakers  on Thursday traced the death of University of the Philippines Manila freshman Kristel Tejada to the cut imposed by the government in the budget of State Colleges and Universities (SUCs).

Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan (Party-list, Gabriela) said the university's Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) is an offshoot of the cut in SUCs' budget and it is the school’s way to adapt to the budget cut,  which unfortunately was strictly implemented.

“Education as a right demands that schools exercise flexibility and maximum consideration.  I blame government’s lopsided priorities and the school’s mechanical and insensitive implementation of a policy,” Ilagan said.

Kristel took her life on March 15 at their home in Tayuman by drinking silver cleaner after she filed a leave of absence in the middle of the second semester for failure to pay tuition of less than P10,000.

Rep. Marcelino Teodoro (1st District, Marikina City) said the citizenry could not entirely put the blame on the STFAP policy of the UP System as the sole reason behind Kristel’s death. 

“The way she died was a choice she made and we can never fully understand what went on in her mind for doing so.  Nevertheless, the UP’s scholarship policy is what one might say, ancient, that must be reviewed and revised immediately,” Teodoro said.

Teodoro underscored that the framers of the scholarship policy should put forth the economic considerations of its students. He said these "Iskolars ng Bayan" need financial support .

Teodoro emphasized that it would be ironic that UP, a government-owned university, established to help and educate poor Filipinos, deprives its students of knowledge because of financial reasons.

“They must stay true to their mandate so that no other student suffers the consequences of a faulty scholarship policy,” Teodoro stressed.

Rep. Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City) said the STAFP policy lacks flexibility.

Castelo said that the biggest culprit is the more than P1 billion slash in the budget of SUCs.

“I have openly advocated for free college education for our people.  In this globalized and complex world, a college education is a matter of ultimate necessity, but free college education is a function of collected revenues,” Castelo stressed.

Castelo said the SUCs should continue to receive revenues to fund their requirements.