THE MOVE to block funding for the University of the Philippines (UP) and divert it somewhere else, particularly a project with more urgent funding needs, i.e. the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, has been gaining momentum in social and mainstream media with more people in favor of such move.
The idea to defund the country’s premier institute of higher learning would seem ridiculous at first glance but read on to get a clearer view why it is not.
In the aftermath of the floods brought about by Typhoon “Ulysses”, some rich spoiled brats from Ateneo de Manila who are obviously having a difficult time coping up with the demands and requirement of online studies (courtesy of COVID-19) threatened not to submit all their school requirements unless President Duterte steps down. Along with it, they also demanded for a “no fail policy”.
Let’s get this clear. These Ateneo students are threatening (obviously their parents) that they will deliberately fail or not graduate unless President Duterte steps down. Of course, this ridiculous, self-serving childish tantrum of entitled kids was met with ridicule by the general public because really, who cares if these entitled rich kids fail? It’s the money of their parents they’re wasting. Plus, the country does not stop for this display of hubris.
Not to be outdone, the pseudo communists of Anakbayan UP, in a perfect display of being a third-rate copycat, also came out with similar if not exactly the same threats and demands of their rich neighbors on Katipunan Avenue. Certainly a far cry from “critical thinking”, it is the epitome of stupidity.
The pseudo communists from UP even did it a bit further by having a presscon joined by their pseudo communist professors – about 134 of them from out of more than a thousand UP faculty members.
By turning a blind eye on the blatant use and claim that Anakbayan speaks for UP, it is assumed that this display of infantile hubris unbecoming of a state- funded institution of higher learning has the concurrence of the school’s administration.
Ateneo de Manila is a private institution so nobody really cares if the students waste their parents’ money. That is their problem. But it is a totally different matter with the University of the Philippines; it is funded by taxpayers’ money and the students and faculty members have no right to waste the people’s tax money on their infantile tantrums.
Hence we have this excerpts from the Nov. 18, 2020 issue of The Manila Times:
Duterte threatens to cut UP funding
President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to cut off the funding of the University of the Philippines (UP) if students skipped classes to join anti-government protests.
Duterte issued the warning following reports that the state university has become a recruitment ground for communist rebels.
In a taped public speech aired over state-run PTV-4 late Tuesday night, Duterte told students to stop schooling if they were there to be recruited by communist rebels. “The schools, UP? Fine. If you stop going to school, I will stop the funding,” the President said. “Walang ginawa kung hindi mag-recruit ng mga komunista diyan tapos nag-aaral kayo. Gusto niyo binibira ang gobyerno. Masyado naman kaswerte kayo. Wag talaga kayong manakot, kasi I will oblige you (They do nothing but recruit communists there. You study there but you criticize the government. How lucky can you get? Don’t provoke me because I will oblige you),” he added.
Can the President actually cut the funding of UP and divert the money to another government project?
Yes. He has the power to do so. In fact he has several options under our law.
Under Republic Act No. 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, the President is authorized to “reallocate, realign, and reprogram” existing funds approved in the 2020 national budget to address the needs of the people in a national state of emergency.
The President is also authorized to suspend the expenditure of appropriations, declare savings and realign the same under Article 6, Section 25 of the Constitution, Section 38 and 39 of the Revised Administrative Code, and Section 66 of the 2020 General Appropriations Act.
The President can also request Congress to pass a bill defunding the University of the Philippines for reasons of being a threat to national security, considering that he has control of Congress, with the current Speaker beholden to him. This can easily be done and has already precedence. Plus declaring it a priority bill due to reasons of national security will expedite the process.
So I say defund UP and replace it with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the country’s premier institute of higher learning./PN
