January 27 of this year, Kabataan Partylist sent a letter urging DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus to implement an anti-“no permit, no exam” policy after receiving streams of complaints from parents of elementary and high school students.

In news reports, DepEd Lapus categorically rejected the partylist’s request.

“This is another welcome development, much like how the Commission on Higher Education responded to our proposed bill.  The very timely release of the DepEd order will benefit most students and parents from public and private schools.”

Complaints
The youth solon said that so far they have received complaints from parents of students from Metro Manila, Cavite, Quezon, Rizal, Nueva Ecija, and Laguna via the Kabataan Partylist Hotline.

Meanwhile, other exorbitant fees such as field trip, raffle tickets, bingo cards, and film showings were also monitored.

“Non-payment of these also resulted in students not being allowed to take exams, according to complaints from parents.”

Palatino said that their hotline is still open for complaints, telephone number: 352-1054. Complaints may also be emailed to kabataanpartylist@gmail.com.

Challenge to new DepEd head
Kabataan Partylist, together with high school students from various public schools in Metro Manila, held a picket in front of DepEd-NCR regional office in Quezon City to challenge the newly apponted Education Secretary Mona Dumlao-Valisno to strictly implement DepEd Order 15.

“We will submit a list of complaints to Sec. Valisno within the week and we expect the agency to act on them as soon as possible.”

“The DepEd Order is very clear in stating that strictly no graduation or non-academic fees should be imposed on students this graduation season,” said Palatino.

The youth solon added that the order is “very timely since majority of the Filipinos are affected by the recent energy crisis. Non-collection of graduation and other non-academic fees will greatly help the parents who will shoulder the latest increase in their electric bills and other price hikes.”

The youth solon challenged Secretary Valisno, who assumed post yesterday, to conduct probes on schools that will not follow the DepEd Order.

Complaints, he said, may be forwarded through Kabataan Partylist’s hotline: (02) 352-1054.

Kabataan Partylist today joined the Solidarity March of lawyers, law students, youth groups and concerned groups against Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s “midnight appointment” of the next Supreme Court chief justice.

In a press conference before the march, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino said, “Pres. Arroyo does not know nor follow the rule of law because she thinks she is the law.”

“Like Medusa who turns anything she stares at into stone, so would Arroyo taint the sanctity of the high court if she appoints the next Chief Justice. Any appointment she makes will be flawed and suspect.”

The youth solon said that the appointment of the next chief justice should be done by the next president.

“The next chief justice, his or her independence and non-partisanship, will have great implications when Arroyo’s term ends this May. The appointment of a midnight chief justice despite its unconstitutionality reeks of Arroyo’s desperation to escape accountability from all cases of plunder, corruption, human rights violations and other cases against her,” he said.

A midnight chief justice, Palatino said, would be “the last nail to seal the coffin that is Arroyo’s perpetuation into power.”

Out of the 15 present members of the Supreme Court, only outgoing Chief Justice Puno is not appointed by Arroyo.

“All 14 other members were appointed by her. She clearly wants to control and consolidate the judiciary for her own interests.” ###

U.P. High School Cebu is now accepting applications for admission to first year high school SY 2010-2011. The High School Admission Test (HSAT) will be on March 20, 2010. Last day for filing applications is on March 18, 2010, Thursday.

“This is one example of how a united community can assert the rights of its youth and members. We thank and congratulate the solidarity of students, concerned alumni, teachers and professors and our local officials in the success of this campaign,” Palatino said.

Kabataan Partylist’s regional chapter in Cebu spearheaded campaigns and rallies against the non-closure of UP Cebu high since January.

Palatino also filed House Resolution 1569 urging the University of the Philippines (UP) administration to “continue the full and unhampered operation of UP High School based in UP Cebu College in recognition of its outstanding service to poor but deserving students and to the Cebu community as a whole”.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, and Cebu Reps. Raul del Mar (North District, Cebu City) and Pablo John Garcia (3rd District, Cebu Province) co-authored the HR.

UP Cebu planned to “suspend the acceptance of applicants for UP Cebu’s High School Admission Test (HSAT) on March 6, 2010 pending the resolution of the proposal to phase out the high school gradually” as per a memorandum dated January 14, 2010 by the Office of the Dean, and a letter from Dean Enrique Avila to UP President Emerlinda Roman dated January 8, 2010.

The dean’s letter proposed the phasing out of the high school on grounds that “the priorities set by the UP System and the new UP Charter of 2008…are no longer in the position to sustain ably the implementation of the high school…(and) cannot adequately supply the faculty (it) requires.”

Palatino said, “Education is a right of our youth and should be given utmost priority in the budget. The reasoning that UP Cebu is unable to sustain operations of the high school is unacceptable and a clear mis-prioritization.”

The letters were forwarded to Palatino’s office by the UP Cebu High School Alumni Association Inc. ###

Below are the texts from the said memoranda received via email:

———————————————————-
14 January 2010

MEMORANDUM No. EMA-2010-013

TO:  Prof. Rosario Y. Montaño – Chair, PED

FROM: The Office of the Dean

Subject:  Suspension of the acceptance of HSAT applicants.

—————————————————————————

On the basis of (1) the faculty resources you require for the operation of the High School; (2) the profile of the current faculty complement servicing it; (3) the refocusing of the College’s academic programs and plans; and (4) the priorities set by the UP System and the new UP Charter of 2008, we are no longer in the position to sustain ably the implementation of the high school. It will be an injustice to continue operating it if we can not even adequately supply the faculty you require. With this in mind, you are enjoined to suspend the acceptance of applicants for the proposed High School Admission Test (HSAT) to be administered on 6 March 2010 pending the resolution of the proposal to phase out the high school gradually.

For your appropriate action.

(SGD) Enrique M. Avila
Dean

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt from Dean Avila’s letter to Pres. Emerlinda Roman dated 8 January 2010

Dear President Roman,

… the College shall soon propose the gradual phase out of the high school effective first semester of school year 2010-2011. With this, the high school admission test proposed for March 2010 will consequently be cancelled.

Until that letter came to light, I had thought that the College could already concentrate on important matters and focus on worthier goals this year. Since I have clarified the important points raised by Prof. Baltazar, may I now continue concentrating on the drafting of our proposals — the College’s bid to (1) become a constituent university and (2) phase out the high school.

Sincerely yours,
(SGD) Enrique M. Avila
Dean
——————————————————————-

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino vowed to introduce amendments in the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 (CJA of 1991), saying that the law is flawed and being used to attack campus press freedom.

Palatino said that he would particularly prioritize the scrapping of the non-mandatory collection of fees and the lack of penalty clauses in the CJA of 1991.

In his recent trips to Visayas and Mindanao regions, Palatino said that he was “deeply bothered to have been accosted with numerous cases of campus publications closing down and other attacks on campus press freedom.”

“The student publication is the tangible expression of press freedom in campus. Through it, students are able to practice their rights to freedom of expression and information, rights that are protected by the 1987 Constitution. Dismissing an editorial board or closing down a publication are violations of these rights,” Palatino said.

He cited data from the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) which recorded a total of 279 cases of campus press freedom violations in 2008, more than twice the cases recorded in 2006 and 2007.

Recent cases include the closing down of publication in University of San Carlos in Cebu, the halting of publication and dismissal of the editorial board of The Wesneco Torch in West Negros University (WNU), and the imposition of a non-mandatory collection of publication fees which resulted in the ceasing of operations of The Catalyst of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Perspective of the University of the Philippines-Los Banos last year.

“Such attacks continue because of the flawed nature of Republic Act 7079, or the Campus Journalism Act. School administrations are able to commit offense after offense yet suffer no retribution due to the lack of penalty clause.”

Budget freeze
Palatino also said that a non-mandatory collection of fees is “equivalent to a budget freeze.” “School administrations have been using this clause to blackmail publications from publishing critical articles.”

In the case of The Catalyst, for instance, the school administration stopped collecting publication fees after the paper published articles exposing the proposed imposition of a P250 developmental fee resulting in a protest rally of more than 1,000 PUP students. The PUP Board of Regents was forced to retract the proposed fee increase.

In order to continue publishing, the editors and staff of The Catalyst had to personally collect publication fees from students, causing the paper’s budget to drop.

In a similar case, UP Los Banos’ Perspective has ceased regular publication after the Office of Student Activities gave a directive to stop the collection of student funds. “Their budget was not approved because, according to the OSA, an agreement on the collection of fees was not yet finalized. The administration was invoking the CJA of 1991 as a basis.”

Perspective is also known to publish critical articles against policies of the school administration as well as national issues.

The University of San Carlos in Cebu, meanwhile, has not had a campus publication since 2004.

Palatino said that his office is currently compiling all recent cases of campus press freedom violations since the enactment of the CJA in 1991. ###

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino today said that one of his group’s main legislative agenda is to reform the partylist law.

“The partylist system was established to empower the marginalized and not to serve as a backdoor entry for political dynasties,” Palatino said.

The youth solon earlier slammed the partylist bid of presidential son Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo. The young Arroyo is reportedly eyeing a partylist seat as a nominee for AGP, a partylist of security guards.

“There are already four Arroyos in the House of Representatives, and they are aiming for more seats through the partylist system. These Arroyos are not at all marginalized. They are neither balut vendors nor security guards but in fact belong to the most powerful family in the land.”

Another member of a prominent political clan eyeing a partylist seat is Energy Usec. Zamzamin Ampatuan who is reportedly running under partylist ADAM (Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak ng Maharlika). He is the uncle of Datu Unsay Ampatuan and nephew of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Palatino also criticized the partylist bid of Energy Sec. Angelo Reyes who declared that he will be a nominee for transport group 1-Utak.

“This is getting out of hand. We should address this blatant abuse of the partylist law. We should protect and uphold the aims and objectives of the partylist system,” Palatino said.

Palatino reiterated the need for massive voter education, especially among first-time voters, with regard to the partylist system. ###

Ramota said that the list is based on the compiled complaints of parents and students to Kabataan Partylist and NUSP’s (National Union of Students of the Philippines) ‘student report hotline’ with regard to the implementation of CHED memorandum 02-2010.

The CHED memo was borne out of House Bill 6799 or the Anti-“No-Permit, No-Exam” Policy Bill filed by Kabataan Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino September last year. CHED officials were invited to a committee hearing of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) to discuss the bill. The agency subsequently agreed to release a memorandum. CHED officially issued the memo on January 22, 2010.

“Since we started our campaign, we already received complaints from students and parents from 18 universities and colleges across the country. Our hotlines are still busy with complaints that keep on coming. We believe that there are still more undocumented cases,” Ramota said.

Among the schools with complaints are:

•  STI Regalado

•  Trinity University of Asia

•  ABE International Business College of Accountancy

•  Jose Rizal University

•  Lyceum University of the Philippines- Manila

•  Lyceum University of the Philippines- Alabang

•  Columban College in Olongapo

•  Perpetual College in Las Pinas

•  National Teachers College

•  Our Lady of Fatima University

•  De La Salle -Dasmarinas

•  University of Rizal System- Tanay

•  Mondraan Aura College

•  St. Michael College- Iligan

•  Centro Escolar University-Makati

•  Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina

•  USLS- Bacolod

•  University of Mindanao

Contrary to the understanding of some school administrations, Ramota said, the CHED memo is not an appeal but a directive. “It clearly states to allow students with arrears to take exams.”

“We have already filed a letter of complaint to CHED about this matter. We asked them to immediately conduct investigations on the mentioned schools. As of now, there is no response from CHED yet.” (Click here to view the complaint letter and receiving copy from CHED.)

The Office of Kabataan Representative Raymond ‘Mong’ Palatino already called some of the schools to inquire about the non-implementation of the CHED Memorandum. “According to them, they are now accepting promissory notes from those who cannot pay their dues on-time. In effect, students who were not allowed to take their exams should be given remedial tests immediately before the semester ends.” ###