Hey, UP Manila! Why are you so cruel?
“Four students of University of the Philippines Manila, including a former representative of UP’s highest policy-making body, are reportedly being barred from graduating for failing to pay tuition on time,” reports Janvic Mateo in The Philippine Star.
Former student regent Cleve Arguelles said only he and Christian Durana want their names to be released at the moment.
In Arguelles’ case, UP Manila administration allegedly would not allow him to settle his outstanding balance of PHP15,000 at a later date because “it will violate the no late payment policy and our case might also set a precedent for other students.”
For Durana part, UP Manila supposedly didn’t accept his PHP7,000 as payment because it was delayed.
According to the report, Arguelles started a petition on online platform Change.org asking the UP Manila administration to allow the four of them to graduate and repeal the university’s no late tuition policy.
In a News5 report, UP vice president for public affairs Prospero de Vera was quoted as saying that “UP Manila chancellor (Manuel Agulto) is already addressing the issue upon the advice of UP president (Alfredo) Pascual and decisions will be made in the next few days.”
We hate to bring this up, but it sure seems like UP Manila hasn’t developed any compassion for students in a financial fix even after the death of Kristel Tejada, who killed herself when she was caught in a similar situation.
Photo by Faisal Hermogeno Jackarain (WikiCommons)
