AFTER summary killings and travel spending issues, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Prospero Nograles are still hot on each other's trail, this time arguing over who has the better scholarship program for the Dabawenyos.

In Sunday's Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa television program, City Administrator Wendel Avisado criticized the scholarship program of Nograles, saying scholars are first made to take their "oath of allegiance" to the Nograleses before they become scholars.

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Avisado also revealed that the Nograles scholars are not provided enough budget for their school needs unlike the scholars of the City Government under the administration of Mayor Duterte.

"Sa ilaha hatagan lang ug P4,000 scholars na dayon. Sa amoa kay aside sa tuition naa pa mi ihatag na book allowance, uniform allowance ug transportation allowance. So naa gyud quality among scholarship," Avisado claimed.

The city administrator said their scholars are not exclusive to one school only, adding that they have scholars in practically all universities and colleges in the city.

Nograles, meanwhile, said their scholarship program is being offered to all and not just to top 10 students of schools and "we don't ask refund if our scholars don't get 85 percent in their report card."

"There are 20,000 Nograles scholars in school plus 10,000 more Nograles scholars graduated as against 317 Duterte scholars after 20 years with P2-3 billion budget per year. What's the comparison?" Nograles asked.

In a check with the staff of Nograles, it was learned that for the first semester of school year 2009-2010 alone, Nograles supported 2,500 scholars under the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) scholarship program and 4,000 scholars in the University of South Eastern Philippines (Usep).

Nograles provided P2,500 per semester for Ched scholars and full scholarship for their own scholars in Usep and the University of the Philippines Mindanao campus.

Students who flunked their grades while under the scholarship program are also given chance as per decision of lawyer Karlo Nograles, Speaker Nograle's son and chief of staff.

"Although we require all scholars to at least pass all their school requirements, after KBN (Karlo B. Nograles) weighed everything in terms of need of the youth to stay in school and hopefully be productive and helpful in the community, and the promises made by the parents and the students themselves, Attorney Karlo always maintains an open mind in these matters, and as of this moment decided to give the students another chance," said Nograles' office administrator Willy Marasigan.

Duterte's Scholarship for Tertiary Education Program (Step), meanwhile, requires their scholars to be in the top 10 of the graduating high school class.

For those in college, there must be no grades below 85 percent in all of the subjects; should a resident of Davao City as certified by the punong barangay; should be indigent as certified by CSSDO; and should pass the Psychiatric Evaluation Test of the city.

The Step scholar shall be entitled to grant of P50,000 a year inclusive of summer class, which is broken down as follows; P34,000 matriculation, tuition and other school fees for the regular semester and summer which shall be paid by the city government to the school; stipend of P10,000 (P1,000 per month for 10 months); books and school supplies allowance of P3,000 per semester and P700 per summer; uniform/clothing allowance of P3,000.

Academic Scholars may still avail of other benefits as enumerated provided no similar benefits are given to them by the school.

Aside from Step, the city also has two other scholarship programs for deserving students who failed to meet the requirements of Step. (BOT)