ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | August 17, 2023
Dear Chief Acosta,
Ako ay nakatakdang magtapos sa aking kurso ngayong taon at kakailanganin kong mag-enroll sa isang review center para sa board exams. Nais ko lamang malaman kung maaari ba akong pumili ng review center kahit na pinipilit kami ng huli na mag-enroll sa pinili nilang review center? - Jet
Dear Jet,
Para sa iyong kaalaman, nakasaad sa Section 4 ng Republic Act No. 10609 o ang Protection of Students’ Right to Enroll in Review Centers Act of 2013, ang mga sumusunod:
“Section 4. Unlawful Acts. – In recognition of the student’s freedom to choose his/her review center, the following acts by HEIs shall be considered unlawful:
(1) Compelling students enrolled in courses requiring professional examinations to take review classes, which are not part of the curriculum, in a review center of the HEI’s choice;
(2) Making such review classes a prerequisite for graduation or completion of the course;
(3) Forcing students to enroll in a review center of the school’s choice, and to pay the corresponding fees that include transportation and board and lodging;
(4) Withholding the transcript of scholastic records, diploma, certification or any essential document of the student to be used in support of the application for the professional licensure examinations so as to compel the students to attend in a review center of the HEI’s choice.
Base sa nabanggit na panuntunan, maituturing na isang unlawful act ang pamumuwersa ng isang pamantasan sa mga estudyante nito na mag-enroll sa kanilang piniling review center. Ito ay sapagkat mayroong karapatan ang isang mag-aaral na pumili ng kanyang papasukang review center. Gayundin, nakasaad sa parehong batas ang kaukulang kaparusahan sa pamimilit o pamumuwersang mag-enroll sa isang review center:
“Section 5. Penalties. – Any HEI official or employee, including deans, coordinators, advisers, professors and other concerned individuals found guilty of violating any of the unlawful acts enumerated in Section 4 of this Act shall suffer the penalty prision correccional or imprisonment from six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years and a fine of Seven hundred fifty thousand pesos (P750,000.00). He/She shall also be suspended from his/her office and his/her professional license revoked.
In addition, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) may impose disciplinary sanctions against an HEI official or employee violating this Act pursuant to Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1994”.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.