ACT TEACHER Party-list Representative France Castro on Wednesday lambasted what she called an anti-poor and anti-student statement of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno that free access to state university education is unsustainable.

Castro said Diokno’s statement proved that he is an epitome of the pro-rich, anti-poor and anti-student bureaucrat.

The lawmaker said that education is a right and every Filipino should be given the chance to be educated. They should not be just provided with free elementary and secondary education but the chance to have free state university education.

“Ayon sa Konstitusyon ang lahat ng mamamayan ay may karapatang mag-aral pero sa tinuran ni Sec. Diokno ay mukhang ayaw nyang makapag-aral ng kolehiyo ang mga mahihirap at makuntento na lang sa senior high school para maging murang lakas paggawa sa mga pabrika o kaya ay OFW,” Castro said.

“As it is the budget for Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education from P44 billion in 2021 is now just P5.5B – for Free Higher Education for free tuition and other fees in SUCs at LUCs and P20.48B for Tertiary Education Subsidy for other cost of tertiary education in public and private HEIs like room and board etc,” she added.

“Hindi ba mahalaga ang edukasyon para sa administrasyong Marcos? Kolehiyo man o basic? Bakit pababa ang inilalaang pondo para dito at kung sa basic education naman ay napakalayo sa 6% equivalent ng GDP ng bansa ang pondo? Paano uunlad ang Pilipinas kung ganitong binabarat ang edukasyon at binebaby naman ang mga mayayamang oligarko,” the lawmaker said.