ASSISTANT minority floor leader City Councilor Jose Pepe Abbu Jr yesterday warned that removing the scholarship of so-called anti-government students is a violation of the law.

These were the statements made by Abbu following the ordinance he filed Wednesday providing for the protection of the rights of Cagayan de Oro City scholars.

At present, over 5,000 students have been awarded scholarships by the city government and planning to have an additional 2,000 scholars under Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy's administration.

However, city information officer Ivy Guantero said there are over 8,000 city scholars who are presently enrolled under the city’s scholarship program.

“We have a total of 8,053 city scholars,” Guantero said in Visayan.

Abbu pointed out that scholars must be allowed to speak their minds and develop critical thinking.

Abbu added that these are the principles that the Universal Access to Quality and Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act 10931) was created for.

“If the said ordinance will be passed, then it will be in violation sa maong balaod,” said Abbu adding, “one of the rights indicated there is that they shall not be discriminated based on their political views and stand.”

Free to express dissent

Meanwhile, an earlier proposal of National Youth Commission chairman Ronald Cardema to strip “anti-government” or “rebellious” students of government scholarships was met with criticism both from the administration and the opposition for being illegal, particularly on the rights to speech and expression.

Even some senators opposed Cardema’s proposal to revoke the scholarships of “rebellious, anti-government scholars.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson said government scholars should not be penalized or even kicked out of school for “being militant and joining anti-government rallies to show dissent” since they are exercising a basic right “available to any citizen” of the country.

Lacson, however, noted that once these student-activists bear arms and commit the crime of rebellion, then they must be punished accordingly.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) concurred with Lacson.

Jacqueline De Guia, the CHR spokesperson, stressed that freedom of speech and of expression and freedom to petition the government to redress grievances are guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution.

The ordinance

Under the proposed ordinance of Abbu, a scholar shall have the right to quality education, decline or refuse to attend any political activity; refuse to render service required by the program when it will endanger his or her life, status, person, or family; not be removed from the program without compliance to the procedure laid down in this ordinance.

“Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights,” said Abbu.

He also said on Section 13 of the Philippine Constitution provides that the state recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being.

“It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs,” Abbu said.

A city scholar also has the right not to be subjected to harassment whether physical, verbal, emotional, or psychological, based on his or her political, or religious view, stance, or affiliation.

Disqualification

Abbu explained that there are only two grounds for removal from the scholarship program which are an academic deficiency and disciplinary conduct.

He said the proposed ordinance provides that scholars shall be disqualified or suspended from the program based on academic deficiency and violation of existing rules and regulations provided for under the Scholarship Code of 2018.

Abbu proposed that following a complaint for disqualification or suspension, a written notice shall be sent to the City Scholarship Office stating the grounds for disqualification or suspension of a city scholar based on the recommendation submitted by the committee to the board.

In case a city scholar violates the law, he or she may be reprimanded for the first offense, one-year suspension from the program for the second offense, and disqualification from the program for the third offense, as cited in the proposed ordinance.

The proposed ordinance of Abbu has been submitted to the council’s committee on education for review.