City owes P119M to ACT

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government owes the Asian College of Technology (ACT) at least P119 million for the tuition of 4,500 city scholars. 

Former councilor Atty. Joey Daluz, executive assistant to the mayor, said there are three pending vouchers representing the amount, which accumulated since the second semester of last year.

This was disclosed as city councilors deliberated on the P374 million projected budget for the scholarship program yesterday.

Daluz said the city’s accounting office is not releasing payment owing to a case pending at the Office of the Ombudsman.

The case was filed by a certain Philip Banguiran in 2010 against former city councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa, the owner and majority shareholder of the school, for alleged conflict of interest. 

The city government is technically not a party in the case, Daluz said, but has chosen to be “prudent” until the Ombudsman makes a ruling.

“We will be liable… the mayor, the treasurer and the people who will release that will be liable, affected with the decision rendered disallowing the release of the payment,” Daluz explained.

Likewise, Daluz said ACT is yet to comply with requirements such as the certification for the students’ grades. 

At this point in time, as far as the city government is concerned, it will wait for the Ombudsman’s decision before taking any action.

Despite the pending payment, Ester Cubero, the mayor’s consultant on education, said ACT still accepted close to 1,000 scholars last June. Of the 4,500 scholars currently enrolled in the school, 2,500 are expected to graduate by March 2014, the first batch to finish the city opened the program in 2009.

There are 14,600 city scholars in different colleges in Cebu.

Councilors Margot Osmeña and Eugenio Gabuya said they are keen on releasing the amount if only to resolve the issue of non-payment, but the Council will make a decision in its next executive session.

“Bisan wa gani ta kabayad nidawat pa sila og scholars so ana sila ka generous so we should also hear their side,” Osmeña said.

She also said politics will not have anything to do with the Council’s decision. Abellanosa used to run under the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) of which majority of city councilors are members.

“We would like to help, this is not about Abellanosa, ACT or politics because this is about the thousands of students whose only future is education.  We are blessed to be in a position to help them,” Osmeña said.

Still, Daluz pointed out that even if the Council will decide to pay, the last say would still be with Mayor Michael Rama. “So, be it but we will wait for the mayor,” he said.

Cubero said they are anticipating at least 5,000 new scholars next year.

Osmeña said the scholarship program is the best program of Cebu City. “This is the program that we are all proud of. We believe education is their (scholars) future, an important flagship,” she said.

Apart from free tuition, scholars also receive a monthly allowance of P1,000./JMO (FREEMAN)