SENATOR Risa Hontiveros on Friday contradicted a statement made by the Commission on Higher Education that it has addressed the report of the Commission on Audit regarding the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education.

Hontiveros said that the issue on the scholarship is far from resolved.

“May mga scholar na ga-graduate na pero ni isang sentimo ay walang natatanggap hanggang ngayon. The fact remains that CHED-UniFAST released billions of pesos entrusted to them, unmonitored, without checking or seeing the process through. Hindi pwedeng maghugas ng kamay ang CHED-UniFAST at ibaling sa mga paaralan ang sisi,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Hindi ito puwedeng balewalain lang dahil maraming estudyanteng indigent ang nahihirapan dahil dito. These are undeniably serious, even unjust delays,” she added.

“Some scholars even shared that they cannot even apply for or avail of other scholarships because they are listed as UniFAST scholars even if CHED has not sent them any updates since signing the contract. These UniFAST lapses, ironically, are literally standing in the way of students’ right to education,” she said.

The senator stressed that CHED remains accountable and as long as the students have not received what is due to them, the agency cannot say it has done its job.

She was thankful for the referral of her Senate Resolution 128 to the Blue Ribbon Committee in order to hear the problems on the implementation of the program and come up with constructive solutions.