‘We cannot stop congressmen from recommending scholars’ — CHED

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MANILA — Reacting to the allegations by Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has been giving priority to the scholars of lawmakers, CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan said that they cannot stop congressmen from recommending scholars.

“Legislators, they will recommend, it is part of their nature. For instance, in SUCs (state universities and colleges), we have vacancies. Congress people recommend all the time but it doesn’t mean that they dictate where the money goes,” Licuanan explained.

The CHED chair further said that the Commission only follows its mandate to give scholarships to deserving students, adding that giving priority to the recommended scholars of congressmen “does not mean other scholars are disregarded.”

Taking precedence to lawmakers’ requests is also a part of the CHED’s guidelines, Licuanan clarified.

Licuanan admitted that the Php 4.1-billion allocated to CHED in 2014 came from realigned PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) though she said that there was nothing wrong with that as long as they are able to continue providing scholarships to former PDAF scholars.

She added that the Php 4.1 billion was “judiciously given to students (scholars).”

CHED has also asked State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to accommodate the lawmakers’ scholars given the limited “carrying capacity” of CHED.

“We can guarantee to the congressmen as well as the SUCs, for those that were overtaken by the TRO (temporary restraining order), we guarantee that we will cover. We have asked the SUCs to take them in (the lawmakers’ scholars) and we will take charge of the cost,” Licuanan said.