UP Manila declares day of mourning

MANILA, Philippines - Classes at the University of the Philippines-Manila will be suspended today as it observes a day of mourning for Kristel Pilar Mariz Tejada, the student who committed suicide after she was reportedly forced to take a leave of absence from her studies for failing to pay her tuition.

Also today, UP president Alfredo Pascual will present facts that the state university gathered surrounding the suicide, in a press conference at the Quezon Hall of the UP-Diliman in Quezon City.

In its Twitter account, the UP-Manila yesterday posted: “March 18: Day of Mourning in remembrance of Ms. Kristel Pilar Mariz Tejada, Iskolar ng Bayan... Masses will be held at PGH Chapel. Classes are suspended accordingly... Please pass to your classmates and friends at UPM. Thank you.”

Tejada, a freshman behavioral science student, took her life by drinking silver cleaner at their home in Tondo last Friday after she reportedly failed to pay the P10,000 balance of her tuition for this semester.

In an interview, Pascual told The STAR that the press conference was aimed to explain the facts, and to present the series of events leading to Tejada’s death.

Pascual said he had gathered fragmented reports” on the incident.

“I have formed an investigating committee to put together these fragmented reports. We want to have a common set of facts,” he said.

Meanwhile, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Patricia Licuanan has urged all concerned not to politicize the suicide, even as she expressed support for measures to improve educational assistance for poor students.

“The death of Kristel Tejada is a terrible tragedy. I deeply sympathize with her parents on the death of their daughter as well as with the University of the Philippines and all of us for losing someone so young and promising,” she said.

Licuanan said the UP-Manila assisted Tejada under the socialized tuition and financial assistance program (STFAP) but her family was not able to comply with the requirements and deadlines despite extensions given to them. She said CHED supports a full investigation into the student’s death.

The CHED chief said using Tejada’s death to serve a political platform, no matter how valid, is unconscionable.

This after several lawmakers expressed concern over the incident.

Bangon Pilipinas senatorial candidate Eddie Villanueva said the student’s death indicated that a majority still could not afford to attain education.

For her part, re-electionist senator Loren Legarda urged state universities and colleges to review their assistance policies for poor students. – With Christina Mendez, Reiner Padua