Right after the news regarding the alleged discontinuation of free SUC tuition fees came to light, President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to sign into law a bill that would grant the said educational privilege in state universities and colleges.

Early this morning, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary, Menardo Guevarra, surprised the nation when he made the announcement during the Mindanao Hour held at the Conrad Manila.

It was only yesterday when President Communication Operations Office Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag stated that President Duterte would solicit his economic managers’ opinions on the proposed law. And, in the following morning, he already had his stance regarding the matter.

Recent news reports have it that left-leaning party list group was claiming that President Duterte’s administration has discontinued the funds intended for free SUC tuition fee in its budget proposal for 2018, which was obviously proved to be wrong following the announcement regarding the legislation of the said bill.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, he claimed that the government would need at least P100 billion to grant free tuition in state universities and colleges.

Banaag also noted that the government had to spend on a lot of things, particularly on the rehabilitation process of Marawi following the Maute group attack as well as on the repatriation of our beloved overseas Filipino workers (OFW) among other things that the president considers, she claimed.