[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Tupas brothers’ conflict spills over to state college’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=”]
Friday, April 7, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Those hoping to see former congressman Niel Tupas Jr. (5th District, Iloilo) reconcile with younger brother Cong. Raul Tupas nearly a year after the bitter 2016 elections may have to wait longer.
The two are at loggerheads again, this time over the former congressman’s Iskolar sang Quinto (ISQ) program.
The elder Tupas accused the incumbent congressman of instigating controversy – specifically Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College’s (NIPSC) decision not to release the transcript of records of nearly 1,000 ISQ graduates because they were yet to fully pay their tuition fees.
“Ang manghod ko man lang ang nagalabugay kag nagakontra sa mga ISQ scholars,” the former congressman posted on Facebook.
The former congressman started the ISQ in 2007. It was funded by his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
The brothers’ relationship soured when Raul, then the incumbent Iloilo vice governor, decided to run for congressman of the 5th District against his elder brother’s wife Yvonne Angeli. He clobbered his sister-in-law at the polls.
If the elder Tupas were to be believed, from 2007 to 2013 the government paid NIPSC over P100 million for the ISQ, P23 million and P14 million in 2014, P14 million in 2015 and P16.5 million in 2016.
“Diin nagkadto ini nga kuarta? NIPSC failed to account sang mga kuarta nga ginhatag sa ila sang government for the tuition fees. Subong manukot pa sila sa mga scholars,” according to the elder Tupas.
He accused NIPSC of corruption.
Cong. Raul Tupas blasted his elder brother for insinuating that the ISQ problem was politically motivated.
In 2013, the Supreme Court declared the pork barrel unconstitutional. The payments for ISQ tuition fees were stopped, said NIPSC president Dr. Ma. Theresa Palmares.
“We’re trying to find solutions here. This has nothing to do with politics,” said the incumbent congressman.
He also defended NIPSC officials from his brother’s accusation of corruption. He said he would seek President Rodrigo Duterte’s help.
After winning 5th District’s congressional seat last year, Raul extended a hand of reconciliation to his elder brother and sister-in-law but this was unreciprocated.
It was a bitter sweet victory. Their father, former governor Niel Sr., died on Nov. 24, 2015 without seeing his two warring sons reconcile.
Niel Sr., who died of multiple organ failure at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City at the age of 82, endorsed the candidacy of his daughter-in-law four months before he died. It was viewed as an outright rejection of Raul’s plan to seek the congressional post in the 5th District.
In an interview following the endorsement, however, Raul insinuated that their father may have been manipulated. After his victory, he said he would restore broken family relationships fractured by politics. But this may take a backseat due to the ISQ controversy.
Of the total of 27,892 ISQ grantees from NIPSC’s seven campuses, nearly 1,000 graduates could not apply for jobs or even take licensure examinations because they still do not have their transcript of records. B
But the school is not backing down on its decision not to release these. NIPSC cited Audit Observation Memo No. 2016-011 dated Feb. 23, 2017 from the Commission on Audit (COA).
“COA recommends, among others, to devise measures to exhaust all possible means to collect the outstanding receivables,” said Palmares.
The unpaid tuition fees reached P74,739,380 covering the years 2012 to 2016.
“I dare the former congressman to name the key officials of this college whom he called unscrupulous and corrupt and present substantial evidence against them. I even dare him to file actions against these officials at the Office of the Ombudsman,” said Palmares.
She also said the ISQ scholars were allowed to enroll until they graduated due to the assurance of the former congressman that he would seek funds from other sources to finance the scholarship program.
NIPSC vice president for administration and finance Hilda Magtiza bared the breakdown of unpaid tuition fees per campus:
* Estancia – P30,422,300
* Ajuy – P18,360,020
* Barotac Viejo – P5,863,450
* Batad – P3,245,600
* Concepcion – P5,203,800
* Lemery – P4,837,810, and
* Sara – P6,806,400.
Magtiza said for five academic years – 2007 to 2012 – the seven campuses of NIPSC received payment from ISQ amounting to P63,651,691.50 duly receipted and deposited in the bank./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
