Senator Risa Hontiveros exposed the alleged ‘ghost scholars’ under Commission on Higher Education (CHED) free education program.

Hontiveros uncovered the suspected “ghost scholars” utilizing the CHED scholarship program in a statement on Wednesday. She revealed that her office has been receiving complaints that as many as 400 students have not received their education subsidy.

She continued by claiming that some ‘ghost scholars’ continue to receive tuition assistance even after graduation. She requested that the Commission on Higher Education take its time to look into the matter.

“So kung hindi ang mga bata, sino ang totoong nagka-cash in? Seryosong alegasyon ito na kailangan imbestigahan ng CHED,” said the senator.

Additionally, the senator grilled CHED regarding their flawed Memorandum of Agreement between UniFAST, CHED, and the Development Bank of the Philippines, which was based on the burning of $1 billion commencing in 2019, based on the article of the Senate of the Philippines.

The opposition senator further claimed that emails with screenshots of UniFAST’s Facebook page posts pleading with students to support the CHEd scholarship program were delivered to her office.

Hontiveros, who had previously requested an investigation into the alleged P7-billion “questionable releases” by CHEd, claimed that her goal in doing so was to find a solution to the issue, not to halt the program.

“Gusto nating imbestigahan ito para maayos ang mga problemang nakakaapekto sa maraming estudyante, hindi itigil yung programa. There is a real climate of fear among students, and we at the Senate should find out who is instigating it,” she said.

Hontiveros emphasized that many parents and students are requesting for aid with their studies, which is why he is working to give it to them. In the meantime, CHED has not yet answered the accusation.

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