School to sue town officials

CEBU, Philippines - The Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology is filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against Madridejos town officials and employees who let its 26 students participate in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival without the school’s approval.

SCSIT chairman of the board and president Doroteo Salazar told The FREEMAN last night that he is waiting for more “letters of explanation” from the students of SCSIT-Madridejos campus who were no longer allowed to go back to school for violating the school’s regulations.

“I would like to clarify that they were not dropped, they were just being disciplined. They were absent for one month wherein two weeks practice and two weeks stay in Cebu. They have not submitted an excuse letter,” Salazar said.

He said a student wrote him a letter explaining the issue and identifying those who let them join the festival without the school’s authority.

“It is in the letter that the students received P880 from the municipality then P1,500 was included in the payroll. That is why I want investigation against government officials and employees who are involved in this matter,” said Salazar, a former mayor and vice mayor of the town.

But the 26 students said there’s no reason for them to go back to the school after what happened.

“We are not after the chance to return to SCSIT. All we want is to transfer to other school so we want the release of our TOR (transcript or records) and to have honorable dismissal,” said Constancio “Jam” Paras Jr.

Paras, a fourth-year education student and a full scholar of the school, lamented that he only used to pay P500 per semester. But after what happened, he will be paying a balance of P15,600.

“His balance is not P15,600 but P112,000,” Salazar however said.

Salazar said each scholar has a tuition fee of P16,000 per semester.

But such privilege is cancelled if the scholar violates the rules of the school under a memo circular issued by the Commission on Higher Education, he explained.

Paras, a member of the school’s dance troupe, said he and the 25 other students have a total balance of P413,000.

The other day, the students sought assistance from CHED after they were barred by school authorities from entering the school since August 15.

No mayor’s permit

Madridejos Mayor Salvador dela Fuente confirmed reports that SCSIT-Madridejos is operating without mayor’s permit.

“It has no mayor’s permit,” said dela Fuente.

“But if they (school officials) would apply for a mayor’s permit, it’s not hard for them to get one,” he said.

But Salazar said SCSIT-Madridejos, being an educational institution, does not need any mayor’s permit, only a CHED permit.

Operating since 1996, SCSIT-Madridejos currently has 2,200 students.

Dela Fuente, however, praises the school for uplifting the lives of its people through education.  - /LPM (FREEMAN)