SC tackles tuition hikes today

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) resumes session today after a month-long break, with justices expected to act on an urgent bid to stop the increases in tuition and other fees in 354 private colleges and universities nationwide recently approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

An insider told The STAR that the petition of youth groups led by Kabataan party-list seeking issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the tuition hikes is among the priorities in the agenda of the SC’s full-court session.

Apart from the TRO, the groups also asked the SC in their petition filed last May 29 to declare as unconstitutional Sec. 42 of the Education Act of 1982 and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Memorandum Order No. 3 series 2012, which were used to justify the order.

The source revealed that the justices would also tackle several interventions filed on petitions questioning the legality of Republic Act No. 10354 or the Reproductive Health (RH) Law.

While the high court was on recess, four groups have filed separate motions to defend the controversial law – former secretaries of health Esperanza Cabral, Jamie Galvez-Tan and Alberto Romualdez Jr.; the group of 2005 Bar topnotcher Joan de Venecia; Sen. Pia Cayetano, and Catholics for Reproductive Health and Interfaith Partnership for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood Inc. led by women’s rights lawyer Claire Padilla.

On the other hand, a group of Catholic students represented by the legal office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines filed a petition against the RH law.

The high court issued last March 19 a 120-day status quo ante order enjoining the government from implementing the assailed law and also set an oral argument on the case on June 18.

For the oral argument, the high court has set preliminary conference by parties on Thursday.

The SC magistrates are also expected to deliberate on the controversial issue hounding the TRO unilaterally issued by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno stopping the Comelec from proceeding with the proclamation of winning party-list groups in the May 13 midterm polls.