Inclusion from scholarship program is “harassment”

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña called the move of Mayor Michael Rama in approving the recommendation of the City Scholarship Committee to exclude Councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa’s private school from the city’s scholarship program as pure political harassment.

Osmeña said although the Asian College of Technology had the most number of students from among the beneficiaries of the city’s scholarship program, the students were not forced to enroll in Abellanosa’s school.

The lawmaker said there is no undue advantage for ACT even if it is allowed to accept city scholars because the school even gave a counterpart scholarship grant to each of the scholars at P10,000 aside from the P1,000 cash for school supplies.

Each of scholar of the Cebu City government is enjoying a P10,000 scholarship grant per semester or P20,000 in one year, aside from the school supplies allowance of P1,000.

But Rama said he will not listen to Osmeña’s argument because the latter is not a lawyer.

“Ako siya nga tamba-ngan nga moeskwela usa siya pagka-abogado aron masabtan niya ang balaod,” the mayor said.

“Normal man na ilang reaction kay naalkanse man sila’g dako. Nakaginansya na bitaw sila’g dako sauna …Those that should be asked are the other schools that are wondering why the bulk of scholarship recipients are concentrated in that school,” Rama added.

Rama also doubted if the P10,000 ACT is offering its scholars is truly reflected in the school’s book of accounts.

“Di man ko motoo anang gikan sa iyang kaugalingong bulsa na. Iya gipakita sa ilang libro? Lip service ra na. Atong pasudlon ang BIR ana to verify that claim,” the mayor said.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, the vice chairman of the City Scholarship Committee, said he did not know that the committee had come up with the recommendation to exclude the ACT from the list of the schools accredited by City Hall to avail of the scholarship program.

Young, the presiding officer of the Cebu City Council, said he is sure that the matter will be deliberated in  coming sessions, but he choose not to make premature statements on what will be their next move.

Osmeña also criticized Rama for the city’s failure to promptly pay its obligations to the various schools that are accredited by the city for its scholarship programs.

He said even the ACT has not been paid yet of its bills amounting to millions of pesos, like the University of Cebu that also has collectibles worth P30 million.

Several city scholars are also complaining because until now the city still failed to give them the P1,000 for the school supply allowance for school year 2012-2013 even if the classes had already ended.

“How can you say the city’s scholarship program can continue if the city will not pay the schools for the scholarship? He’s finding an excuse not to pay,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña said even if ACT is owned by Abellanosa there is no undue advantage for ACT.

“If you don’t like ACT then don’t enroll there,” he said, adding that ACT is more affordable because of Abellanosa’s counterpart scholarship grant.

Abellanosa’s rival for the south district congressional seat this May, Aristotle Batuhan, earlier filed administrative charges against him before the Office of the President in Malacañang, insisting that what the city legislator did is conflict of interest.

Abellanosa said he is worried about the welfare of the student scholars but said he will stand by them and help them finish school.  (FREEMAN)