MALACAÑANG turned down Wednesday, February 20, the proposal of the National Youth Commission (NYC) to strip of state scholarships the students who are "suspected" to be members of forces opposed to the Duterte government.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said "mere membership" of student activists to Left-leaning groups should not be basis for the withdrawal of their scholarships.
He also stressed that there was nothing wrong with students enjoying their "freedom of expression and freedom of assembly" by joining rallies, noting that the Palace respects their constitutional rights.
Panelo said students would only lose their scholarships, if there is "legal" and "reasonable" ground that they are indeed members of groups that are "fighting the government."
"We're government of laws, not of speculations. Kung sinususpetiyahan lang natin, hindi naman pipwede 'yun (If we're only suspecting, that's not acceptable)," the Palace official said.
"Kailangan meron tayong ebidensya na mga parte nga sila ng mga grupo na laban sa gobyerno (We should have an evidence that they are part of groups that are fighting the government). Kung sila'y sumasama lang sila sa mga rally (If they are merely joining rallies), that's a right. That's freedom of expression and freedom of assembly," he added.
Panelo issued the remark a day after NYC chairperson Ronald Gian Carlo Cardema called on President Rodrigo Duterte to revoke the scholarships of "anti-government" students.
Cardema specifically wanted to remove government scholarships of students linked to the communist movement.
Panelo emphasized that the government should have "concrete" evidence that scholars are one of the communists in destabilizing the current administration.
He noted that "express[ing] dissent to government policies" was an exemption from the revocation of scholarships, since students are merely exercising their rights to freedom of expression.
"Mere membership alone will not suffice. You have to show us evidence that one, you indeed join because you want to fight government," he said.
"The state will protect itself from any attack, whether superficially, sublimally, or actual. Pero kailangan meron tayong ebidensya (But we need evidence). We are not reckless," Panelo added.
Cardemas, a staunch Duterte supporter and former leader of Duterte Youth, urged the Chief Executive to issue an executive order (EO) removing the scholarships of students who are against the government.
Panelo said the President was unlikely to sign an EO, if scholarships of student activists would be removed just on the "basis of suspicion."
Asked what would be the government's basis for removing students' state scholarships, Panelo said: "Under the Revised Penal Code, merong sedition, merong rebellion, merong conspiracy to commit sedition, conspiracy to commit rebellion. Kung pumasok ka doon, paano ka naman susuportahan ng gobyerno? Otherwise the government will be killing itself."
(Under the Revised Penal Code, there's a sedition, rebellion, conspiracy to commit sedition, and conspiracy to commit rebellion. When you commit any of the crimes, how will the government support you? Otherwise, the government will be killing itself.) (SunStar Philippines)