By Dang Samson-Garcia

TULUYAN nang natuldukan ang uniteam.

Ito ang paniniwala ni Senador Chiz Escudero kaugnay sa relasyon ngayon nina Pangulong Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. at Vice President Sara Duterte.

Sinabi ni Escudero na ito ay kahit pa dumalo ang Bise Presidente sa mga rally ng Bagong Pilipinas sa Maynila at sa Davao City na pinangunahan naman ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

Ayon kay Escudero, 98 o 99 percent nang buwag ang uniteam at ang pagdalo rin ni VP Sara sa prayer rally sa Davao na pinangunahan ng kanyang pamilya ay maliwanag na nagwakas na ang pagkakaisa sa pagitan ng Pangulo at ng Bise Presidente.

Aniya, bagama’t nagsalita ang Vice President sa rally sa Davao kagabi, ang presensiya niya sa lugar ay patunay na nakikiisa siya sa mga maaanghang na salita na binitawan, lalo na ng kanyang ama na si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

Sinabi ni Escudero na nagsimula ang lamat sa relasyon ng dalawang lider ng bansa nang magpanukala si Pangulong Marcos ng confidential funds para sa Office of the Vice President na kalaunan ay ikinasama pa ng Bise Presidente at hindi man lang pumalag o pumosisyon dito ang Pangulo.

Iginiit pa ni Escudero na dapat nang rendahan ni Pangulong Marcos ang kanyang pinsan na si House Speaker Martin Romualdez at huwag sanang ipagkibit-balikat lang ng Presidente ang nangyayari dahil tiyak na babalik sa kanya ito at aakalain ng marami na pumapayag siya sa isinusulong na pekeng People’s Initiative.

By Dang Samson Garcia

SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero supported the partial reimbursement to state universities and colleges of the amount they spent in 2022 and 2023 in the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

At the same time, Escudero called on SUCs to work within their budget allocation as the reimbursable expenses would only cover up to 10% increase in enrollment based on the policy of the Commission on Higher Education.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher, Vocational and Technical Education said the government is finding ways to reimburse SUCs but it cannot pay them in full due to budgetary constraints.

“For 2022, the total so-called deficiency is P2.75 billion. Magkano sa 2023? Based on the report, it is P4.24 billion, giving a total of roughly P7 billion deficiency for 2022 and 2023,” Escudero told representatives of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges led by its president, Tirso Ronquillo of the Batangas State University.

“If we have an opportunity to address that in 2024, we will try to do that. As you heard DBM, they are looking at several formulas on how to pay you back. But they are not paying the entire amount, only a portion or a percentage of it,” he added.

Escudero has earlier supported the Department of Budget and Management’s position, admitting that paying these SUCs in full would be unfair to other government-owned universities and colleges that stuck to their allotted budget.

“Ang problema, alam naman nila ‘yung budget kung magkano ang kino-cover natin sa free tertiary education and yet, they opened their enrolment wide to exceed the budget. Tapos ngayon, maniningil sila,” he said.

He urged PASUC to reach a win-win solution with DBM so that a provision can be inserted in the proposed 2024 General Appropriations Act to finally get their claims.

The CHED reported that the basis of imposing a 10% reimbursement cap is its data that the average increase in enrolment is about 8% annually.

By Dang Samson Garcia

SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday asked the Commission on Higher Education if there is a need to change the name of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines as it seeks autonomy from the Commission on Higher Education.

During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, the senator inquired on the necessity to change the name of PUP into National Polytechnic University.

The senator’s query was in line with the discussions on Senate Bill 2448 which seeks to amend the PUP charter.

“What’s in the name Chair Popoy De Vera? So, what if I call PUP as National Polytechnic University? That doesn’t automatically carry with it institutional autonomy, right?” the senator asked.

CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III had raised concerns on PUP’s move for autonomy.

He said that unless under the law they don’t have institutional autonomy, changing PUP’s name carries with it institutional autonomy.