A danger to life and limb

A danger to life and limb
 
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat.com

I never knew that it would come to this point: that the budget cuts on state colleges and universities such as the University of the Philippines would result in loss of lives. Last Sunday, Rey Bernard Penaranda, a 19-year old BS Agriculture student of the UP Los Baños was killed in a robbery attempt just outside the gates of UPLB.

This, according to reports, is the third slaying near the campus in five months: 14-year old Rochel Geronda, a high school student and sampaguita vendor, was found dead barely a week ago less than a kilometer away from the campus, and in October 2011, 19-year old BS Computer Science student Given Grace Cebanico was found dead just outside the UPLB campus, a victim of a robbery-rape-slay.

Closer to home, last February 1, Lordei Camille Anjuli Hina, a 20-year old Political Science student of UP Diliman was stabbed with an icepick just above the left temple in a robbery attempt near the UP student council office at the Vinzon’s Hall. Luckily, she survived but is still in critical condition. There was also a report of a killing inside the campus last December, claiming the lives of a mother and son.

What has the budget cut got to do with this? 
 
Last year, upon his installation as the 20th UP president, I was interviewing UP President Alfredo Pascual during a dinner he held with journalists. We were talking about his plans for the university and how he would cope with the meager, reduced budget allotted to the country’s premier state university and only national university. He said he would continue trying to convince the government that the budget for UP is an “investment” and not an expense. He was firmly resolved not to increase the tuition. (He delivered on this promise although the default bracket for those who need not file documents detailing their family’s income was raised one level higher, from P1,000 to P1,500 per unit per semester. ) In the meantime, the UP administration would have to earn from its existing assets and cut costs. I remember that he mentioned reducing the number of security guards and installing CCTV cameras instead, as an example..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/03/06/a-danger-to-life-and-limb/