Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) chairman Emmanuel Angeles assured that steps have been taken to ensure that no private school or state university/college (SUC) will implement tuition fee increase for this school year.

The decision came after a series of protests by students and militant youth groups in Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila, in University of the Philippines-Diliman, and at the main office of CHED in Diliman, Quezon City.

Angeles, who also sits as chairman of the boards of regents of all state colleges and universities, assured no tuition fee increase shall take place to give poor students access to education. He also said that other alternatives will be discussed during the meeting of board of regents on March 29.

Aside from PUP, Angeles revealed that two other SUCs intend to increase their tuition fees, along with other 290 private schools. The said schools are Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology and Mindanao State University (MSU).

“These schools cannot implement any increase in tuition fee without CHEd’s approval and without undergoing through consultation process,” he said.

Angeles added that before any school can implement any increase there should be a consultation among the administrators, student representative, parents, and faculty members.

“Unless the parties involved came up with a unified decision, that’s the only time that they can seek for CHEd’s approval,” Angeles stressed.

Angeles admitted that he was dismayed with the untoward behavior of student protestors and militant youth groups when they stormed the CHEd office Wednesday.

“Although we live in democracy, laws and rules should be observed,” he said.

Angeles also added that instead of protesting and barricading in their schools and other institutions such as CHEd and the Department of Education (DepEd), they should protest in front of the Congress and call for a higher budget allocation.

With the continued protests of students, Angeles expressed disaapointment on the worth of damages they have been creating.

“These violent actions only resort to damages to school properties and what do they get out of it?” he said.

Angeles called for the schools to sanction students who have destroyed public properties.

“It is up to the schools to identify these student protestors and give the due sanction according to their school handbook,” he said.