Roxas grabs credit for ‘stopping’ PUP tuition fee increase

Liberal Party president Mar Roxas. Photo grabbed from Wikipedia.

Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Mar Roxas today claimed credit for supposedly stopping the 1,700-percent tuition fee increase in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

In a press release, Roxas’ Senate office said:

The Board of Regents of [PUP], on motion of [...] Roxas, rejected the state university administration’s proposed 17-fold increase in tuition and miscellaneous fee rates from P12 to P200 per unit ostensibly to improve school facilities.

The same press release also said that Roxas was not actually present in the said meeting that merely formalized an earlier pronouncement made by the concurrent chair of the board and the CHED:

In a meeting on Monday afternoon attended by nine members, the PUP [Board of Regents] unanimously approved the motion of Dr. Mario Taguiwalo, Roxas’ representative as chairman of the Senate Education Committee, to reject the proposal to hike university fees.

Roxas’ press release also described the student protests as “unruly”.

Students protests won a moratorium last March 24, when Commission on Higher Education chair Emmanuel Angeles declared before students protesting at this office that there would be no tuition fee increase in PUP.

The declaration by Angeles, who is the chair of PUP’s BOR effectively stopped the administration’s plans to raise fees at the country’s biggest state university.

Media reports credited students’ protests for successfully defeating the plan.

Fiery protests at PUP brought to fore the sad state of the university and the slackening state subsidy allotted to the nation’s scholars.

But only Bangon Pilipinas standard-bearer Bro. Eddie Villanueva (himself also a PUP alumnus); Nacionalista Party senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Adel Tamano; and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino sided with the student protesters and visited the five student leaders who were detained on robbery charges.

The Mar Roxas for Vice President media team based in Balay Aquino-Roxas in Cubao, Quezon City also emailed the media a Tagalog version of the press statement, which is being published in full below:

SA MOSYON NI ROXAS, 17O% TUITION HIKE IBINASURA NG PUP

Bilang pagtugon sa hiling ni LP vice-presidential bet Senator Mar Roxas, ibinasura kahapon (Lunes, 29 Marso) ng Board of Regents ng Polytechnic University of the Philippines ang panukala ng state university administration na 17-ulit na pagtaas sa tuition at miscellaneous fees sa P200 kada unit mula sa dating P12 lang na gagamitin umano para sa pagpapaayos ng unibersidad.

Sa isang pulong nitong Lunes ng hapon, inaprubahan ng lahat ng siyam na miyembro ng PUP BoR ang mosyon ni Dr. Mario Taguiwalo, kinatawan ni Roxas bilang chairman ng Senate Education Committee, na ibasura ang panukalang tuition at miscellaneous fee hike sa PUP.

Nauna rito, iginiit ni PUP President Dante Guevarra na lubhang kailangan ng unibersidad ang tuition hike para maging P200 kada unit, o P4,800 para sa isang 24-unit semester para sa mga incoming freshmen ng laboratory-intensive courses gaya ng Engineering at Computer Management upang mabigyan sila ng mas maayos na pasilidad.

Dumalo sa nasabing pulong sina Commission on Higher Education Chairman Emmanuel Angeles, PUP President Dante Guevarra, Alumni Regent Rene Tanasas, Faculty Regent Rufo Bueza, Student Regent Donnavie Pascual, Private Sector Regent Marcial Magsino, NEDA Regent Margarita Songco, Dr. Mario Taguiwalo (representative ni Senate Regent Mar Roxas) at Armi Dayot-Corpuz (representative ng House of Representatives).

Isinagawa ang pulong kasunod ng marahas na protesta ng mga estudyante ng PUP sa PUP main campus sa Sta Mesa, Manila at tanggapan ng CHED sa Quezon City noong nakaraang lingo.

Nu’ng umaga ng Lunes ay nagdesisyon si Guevarra na bawiin na ang kasong robbery with intimidation and violence laban sa limang estudyante na inaresto ng mga miyembro ng Manila Police District noong nakaraang lingo dahil sa pangunguna sa indignation rally sa PUP campus, at pagkuha at pagsisira ng mga gamit sa unibersidad.

Mahigit 32,000 estudyante ang nag-aaral sa PUP main campus sa Sta. Mesa. Mayroon ding 21 campuses ang naturang unibersidad sa buong bansa.

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29 Responses to “Roxas grabs credit for ‘stopping’ PUP tuition fee increase”

on 30 Mar 2010 at 3:52 pm1Sino ba? Eh di si Mar! «

[...] buong kwento dito. Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 2010 elections, activism, activist, aktibismo, elections, mar [...]
on 30 Mar 2010 at 4:02 pm2Carlo Sales

Tangna mo Mar Roxas.
on 30 Mar 2010 at 4:28 pm3daday chua

kapal ng muka. wala siyang karapatan angkinin ang tagumpay ng mga iskolar ng bayan. ang tuitionfee increase ay hindi natuloy dahil sa sama samang pagkilos ng mga iskolar ng bayan at hindi dahil sa kanya!!
on 30 Mar 2010 at 5:01 pm4Archie Roxas Quintana

Ang kapal ng mukah! Saksakan ng oportunista yang MarRxas na yan! dami nga nagtaas ng tuition na mga universities, Ano ginawa mo? NAGMAMAGANGDA ka ba?!!!! Feeling mo maganda ka day!? Kaapelyido pa namn kita. Nakakahiya ha. oportunista !
on 30 Mar 2010 at 6:22 pm5bata

O Mar, ikaw na.
Ngunit noong nagpoprotesta ang mga kabataan, asan ka? You as an individual cannot do as much. Magpaparamdam ka kung kailan tapos na ang lahat, kung kailan napagtagumpayan na ng mga kabataan ang laban. Shame on you.
on 30 Mar 2010 at 7:07 pm6Mane

eeeww!! such opportunist deserve to be thrown from the 6th floor of PUP main BLdg. to he ground floor!!!

Anyways, it is no surprise that he’ll claim the victory!

KUNG ANO YUNG GINAGAWA NG MGA NASA TAAS YUN DIN ANG GINAGAWA NG MGA NASA BABA… see activist claimers on PUP..
on 30 Mar 2010 at 9:15 pm7Victor

Oportunista talaga si Mar Roxas!! Kala mo kung sinong magaling at malinis!
on 30 Mar 2010 at 9:20 pm8the cure

ang kapal ng mukha, hindi na nga nagpasalamat sa nagbigay ng kape sa pol ad nya, feeling landlord talaga, inaangkin pa ang tagumpay ng mga estudyante.

mabuti pa mar roxas, pagsabihan mo na lang mga kamag-anak mo na itigil na ang harassment at demolition sa tungkong mangga para pagkakitaan ang lupa para sa mrt 7.

ang kapal ng mukha nyong mga roxas-araneta, dahil sa yaman nyo, tinatapaktapakan nyo lang ang mga mahihirap. tapos magpapanggap kayong maka-mahirap sa mga commercial nyo! magsama kayo ni noynoy sa mental!
on 30 Mar 2010 at 10:31 pm9dalisay

ang kapal talaga ng mukha mo!!! ang mga alagad mong KALIPI sa PUP ay kagaya mong inutil walang ginagawa kundi siraan ang mga estudyanteng lumalaban para tutulan ang TUITION FEE!!! hayup ka!!!
on 30 Mar 2010 at 11:28 pm10chan

Kapaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal! Etong sau *sampal*
on 31 Mar 2010 at 12:07 am11Margarita Fores

Please re read the Senate press release. Your article is misleading…the term unruly did NOT come from Mar Roxas, but from the author of the Senate release. Paki basa ang press relelease ng Senado…medyo mali yata and interpretation ninyo dito. You are being unfair to Senator Roxas by twisting the story around.
on 31 Mar 2010 at 12:15 am12Margarita Fores

Please re read the Senate press release. Your article is misleading…the term unruly did NOT come from Mar Roxas, but from the author of the Senate release. Paki basa ang press relelease ng Senado…medyo mali yata and interpretation ninyo dito. You are being unfair to Senator Roxas by twisting the story around. You have misled the PUP students and caused them to think that Senator Roxas’sole motivation was to take credit for the good that happened.
on 31 Mar 2010 at 12:18 am13Margarita Fores

PS He never even personally announced taking credit. His representative’s move did cause the tuition fee hike from being implemented, but not once did the Senate report brazenly say that he took credit!
on 31 Mar 2010 at 3:19 am14Ralph U

isa kang malaking wrong~ oportunista. magsama kayo ni noynoy.
sheeeeeeet. kung kelan matutulog nako tska ko pa nakita to. badtrip. tangna mo.
on 31 Mar 2010 at 8:33 am15pola

tangna! pwede ba irepost tong news na to? source still under this website
on 31 Mar 2010 at 11:09 am16watda

hindi naman misleading eh.. kahit sya man o hindi ang nagsabi, still yung main point ng press release eh TUMULONG DAW sya sa pagpigil ng tuition fee increase, mapupunta pa rin sa kanya ang credit.. eh kung wala ba yung mga “UNRULY” na students dun may magagawa ba yung representative nya?
on 31 Mar 2010 at 12:43 pm17Nakainom ng Margarita

PUP BOARD REJECTS 17-FOLD TUITION HIKE ON ROXAS’ MOTION

SA MOSYON NI ROXAS, 17O% TUITION HIKE IBINASURA NG PUP

basahin mo paulit ulit yan title ng PR nila tapos isip na mabuti.
on 31 Mar 2010 at 2:20 pm18karen

oportunista talagah!
on 31 Mar 2010 at 2:51 pm19STAND-UP

Madame Fores, we understand your sentiments and how you want to defend Mar Roxas, but the press release in question offends us in so many levels. If you are saying that the article herein is misleading, then you might want to check once more the title of the press release (“PUP BOARD REJECTS 17-FOLD TUITION HIKE ON ROXAS’ MOTION”). The title gives the uninformed the impression that it was due to Mr. Roxas’ direct involvement/action that the said proposal was junked. If there’s anyone we’d like to thank, it’s Dr. Mario Taguiwalo and not the Senate Regent he is supposed to represent.

What raises our ire even more is the fact that we didn’t hear Roxas and/or his camp make a definite stand not only on the tuition hike but also the arrest and harassment of the 5 PUP student leaders heading a protest against the proposal. It is only after Chairman Angeles’ announcement that such a press release was posted, and for what reason? We’re very much interested in hearing Mr. Roxas personally clarify not only to the students but the entire public what this is all about.

To say that the writers of the article herein have misled PUP students is downright insulting to the students (mostly from PUP and UP) who actively participated in the protest actions against the aforesaid tuition hike. These students definitely know better who (or rather, what) are responsible for stopping the PUP tuition fee increase in its tracks.
on 31 Mar 2010 at 6:07 pm20Salgene

MAR ROXAS SA PANAHON NG PROTESTA WALA KA. NGAYON INAAGAW MO ANG KREDITO NA DAPAT AY PARA SA ESTUDYANTE. NONG NASA SENADO KA ISA KA SA NAG-APRUBA NG BUDGET SA EDUKASYON, NGAYONG NAG HAHANGAD KA NG MAS MATAAS NA POSISYON, PUMAPAPEL KA…WALA KA NGANG MALINAW NA PLATAPORMA…ANG ALAM MO LANG SUMAKAY SA MGA ISYU NG MAMAMAYAN..
on 31 Mar 2010 at 9:08 pm21au

damn it! sobrang kapal ng mukha mo mar roxas! g2mitin m p ung tgumpay ng sama2ng pgkilos ng mga kabataan para bumango ang pangalan m sa publiko? SHAME ON YOU!!! grabe ka ni minsan d k nga nmn nrinig na nagbitaw ng statement at ni minsan d ka rn nmn na feel na umksyon sa issue n ito..at sa2bhan m p kming unruly?? kapal m tlaga!
on 31 Mar 2010 at 9:10 pm22francis ugay

Pati laban ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan, pinupulitika mo! Gago!
on 01 Apr 2010 at 3:04 am23beaux

The problem with this issue is on how it was presented by the writer. If this is true, I don’t find anything wrong with these facts. Mar Roxas has the say since sya naman ang chairman ng Senate Education Committee and he did his part. Actually mas negative pa nga ang naging impression ng news na ito. So if I were you, think again baka black propaganda ito.
on 01 Apr 2010 at 12:56 pm24PUP USWAG

bkt gnun???? kung kelan tpoz tsaka nagparamdam??? di b po ang 2nay n lumaban d2 ai ang iskolar ng bayan… unfair nmn po un kht e2 ai napulitika po…pero thankful prin po aq dhl nki isa kau sa laban ng mga iskolar ng bayan…. D
on 01 Apr 2010 at 1:09 pm25tonyo

@beaux: Thanks for dropping by. The official press release of Sen. Mar Roxas is clear and straightforward, whether in Tagalog or English.
on 01 Apr 2010 at 9:30 pm26Satine

@beaux: For us, the problem is not just the wording or the manner by which the press release was presented, but rather the timing of its release and what Senator Roxas has actually done (or haven’t done, to be exact) prior to the announcement of CHEd’s decision. Again, we ask: where was he all throughout the PUP students campaign versus the tuition fee increase in their school?
on 03 Apr 2010 at 3:51 pm27bjay

kapal ng muka mo!!! mahiya k nman sa pag angkin ng tagumpay ng mga iskolar ng bayan!!! wala kng ginawa!!! walang kwenta!!! oportunista! TRAPO!!!
on 04 Apr 2010 at 2:20 am28Bulldog Lagon

Hindi ka na gid nahuya Mar? Hindi ka pa nakuntento sa imong ginahambal sa mga sorties mo? sa mga black propaganda mo sa lain nga politiko? ginahambal mo na maka-masa ka? sa diin ka tong nagrally ang mga estudyante? sa diin ka sa tong gidakop ang mga estudyante? Timing na pagtapos Announce ni Chairman Angeles, nagpagwas ka sang Press Release. Kag angkonon pa gid ang pagkadaog sa mga kabataan nga nagrally para hindi na magtaas ang tuition fee.

KARULUYA KA ! KARULUYA KAMO!
PAREHO LANG KAMO SA IMONG PARTNER- nga si ABNOY.
Mga TIKALON.. MGA MAPAPEL..

Mabuhay ang MGA ISKOLAR NG BAYAN!
Mabuhay sina Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Raymond Palatino, Adel Tamano and Bro. Eddie Villanueva!
on 05 Apr 2010 at 4:10 pm29going red

wel palakpakan nten c mar dahil jan.. pede na xa mag artista mxdong showbiz.. hehe.. lansa mo mar..