Cebu City scholars in limbo

WE ACCUSE THE MAYOR. Asian College of Technology executives explain their decision to take legal action against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and city officials over non-payment of tuition stipends of city scholars at a press conference. (From left) Vianne C. Loquero, VP for Administration; Erwin T. Veranio, VP HR and Legal affairs; Ferdinand Tomakin, VP for Academics; president Joseph Stephen Descallar; lawyer Pelagio Lawrence Cuizon; lawyer Edison Arriola; Andres Rodante Gotera, director of student welfare services and Stella Irene Gatano, director for scholarship. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

“Why did this happen only now? Why our batch? Why will they take the opportunity away from us?”

The cry of 18-year-old Sarah Mae Saladaga in a news conference yesterday  captured the agony of over 1,600 city scholars in the Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation (ACT) whose fate is in limbo.

Caught in a politically laced  dispute between the school and the Cebu city government,  students and parents don’t know where to turn before classes begin in June.

Each institution has hardened its positions over City Hall’s non-payment of tuition dues and the scrapping of  support for scholarship vouchers in the private school founded by south district Rep. Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa.

School officials announced yesterday that they have filed a complaint against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas over his refusal to pay for scholarship dues to the school for two previous school years.

Under a voucher system, the city government pays P10,000 for each  scholar per semester, an amount paid  directly to the school of the student’s choice.

Cebu city still owes ACT around P135 million for tuition of  city scholars enrolled in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

“For the sake of the parent-student scholars we pray that the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas would take immediate action on the requests for assistance, and to conduct a fact-finding investigation to determine the extent of the prejudice done by the City Government of Cebu City/City Mayor of Cebu City,” said the complaint  filed on May 5.

The complaint prepared by ACT legal counsel Pelagio Lawrence Cuison seeks an administrative and criminal investigation.

It also asked for the preventive suspension of city officials “to protect the documents with the City Government” and to prevent the mayor from “harassing or intimidating the parents-student scholars.”

Mayor Rama has repeatedly said City Hall is willing to pay but cannot do so  because of the decision of the Ombudsman which found the school’s founder, south district congressman Abellanosa, guilty of conflict of interest when he signed the arrangement for the scholars on behalf of the school when he was still a Cebu City councilor.

To break the impasse, City Hall filed a petition for declaratory relief in court to have legal issues clarified. But the civil case would take time – and students have to enroll before school starts in June.

The school management insists that  the graft case, which is on appeal,  has nothing to do with Cebu City’s obligation to its scholars.

They said the mayor’s refusal to pay was “baseless, discriminatory and oppressive.”

“Nowhere in the findings by the Ombudsman does it state that payment for the college education of the city scholar enrolees and graduates of the Asian College of Technology (ACT)  should be withheld,” said the school in its complaint.

Cuison said the school also plans to sue Mayor Rama in court, as well as the the head of the scholarship program and other City Hall officials for refusal to pay.

He said there was a valid contract between Cebu city and the school, with no legal obstacle to pay.

The decision to take legal action was approved yesterday in a special meeting of the ACT board.

“Today, the school joins the Cebu City scholars and their parents, its alumni and faculty members against discrimination. Today, the school joins the Cebu City Scholars and their parents who have suffered from the abusive powers of City Hall.

Today, we stand with our students and their families in their fight for a better future. Today, the school makes a stand against the promotion of a culture of lawlessness and partisan politics,” said ACT president Dr. Stephen Descallar at the news conference.

Earlier in the running dispute, Mayor Rama said he can’t be blamed if the the city can’t pay the school since there was a legal complication.

“Why are they suing me? It was the Ombudsman that filed a case against the school: Who filed the case and found a criminal problem with Bebot Abellanos? Mike Rama or the Ombudsman? What’s their problem with me?” he said.

Yesterday afternoon, school officials met with hundreds of the city scholars enrolled in ACT.

They assured that ACT would continue to provide an additional P10,000 counterpart for each scholar.

The amount was originally given to match the P10,000 voucher paid by City Hall, assistance for scholars that was also a good come-on for students to choose to enroll in ACT.

FRESHMEN HIT

The dispute between City Hall and the school has left at least 119 incoming freshmen in limbo like Saladaga.

They already enrolled in ACT, counting on their city scholarship to cover the tuition.

Mayor Rama, however, said they would no longer be recognized as city scholars because Cebu City has not renewed its Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the school for the coming school year.

The dilemma caught  18-year-old Saladaga unprepared.

With finances tight at home – her father is a company driver while her mom stays at home –  this was her best shot at a college degree.

“I wanted to take a medical course but I enrolled in BS Information Technology in ACT so my tuition is free,” she said.  She graduated from high school in March.

In April she was devastated to learn that Cebu city would no longer support scholars who enroll for first year in  ACT.

More than 1,500 other scholars are enrolled in ACT in other year levels.

The mayor appealed to them to transfer early to other schools before June but students and their families worry about being accepted and whether a new school would accredit their past academic subjects or units.

ACT lawyer Edison Arriola said it was not true that there was no MOA with the school.

“There is already a standing authorization by the City Council to approve the MOA but the mayor is just not signing it,” said  ACT legal counsel Edison Arriola.  He said a MOA already existed in  2011 to continue the scholarships.

But the school will respect the decision of the students if they wish to transfer to another school or not, he said.