A YOUTH group has denounced the proposed ‘shame campaign’ of the Commission of Higher Education against state universities and colleges that failed to comply with the free tuition law.

The Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan, known as SPARK, said the proposal of CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III was misplaced because the real issue was the lack of funding for some SUCs.

“Such a proposal would be laughable if it did not affect the lives and well-being of millions of students and parents. Firstly, the issue at hand was that some SUCs did not receive the funds necessary to cover tuition fees, to which De Vera simply responded by shifting the blame onto the SUCs themselves,” the SPARK said in a statement.

“Secondly, even in the act of shifting the blame onto SUCs, his proposal lacks any teeth whatsoever,” the group added.

The SPARK has recommended the reappropriation of De Vera’s salary for securing internet and gadget subsidies of students and teachers.

“P4.6 million per year is barely justifiable for a person who spends his year passing on key decisions to other bodies,” the group said.

In the 2019 Report on Salaries and Allowances released by the Commission on Audit, De Vera was ranked sixth among the richest government officials with P4.645 million in total earnings.

Recently, De Vera said during the budget hearing at the House of Representatives that he will launch a shame campaign against institutions non-compliant with Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.