Ex-UP regent no show

Former University of the Philippines (UP) Student Regent Hannah Eunice Serana snubbed a Saturday meeting called by student leaders to hear her side of allegations that she had embezzled P15-million in public funds intended for the renovation of a student-run building.

"If she is not guilty, why is she refusing to meet us?" said Raymond Palatino, chairperson of the UP’s University Student Council. "We called the meetings to give her a chance to explain."

The USC and the league of college councils in UP Diliman held a general assembly at the auditorium of the UP Law Center Saturday to discuss what actions to take after the filing of a complaint for malversation of public funds brought against Serana in connection with the fund mess.

Serana is accused of funneling the fund to a private foundation called the Office of the Student Regent Foundation which she and her brother John Ian had put up.

The Serana siblings later changed the foundation’s name to the Student Welfare and Program Foundation Inc. Other than the Serana siblings, three other persons identified as Ann Jareign Martel, Azenith Viojan and Joseph Dicdiquian, sat as foundation trustees. – Romel Bagares