5 PUP students freed after school drops charges

Five militant students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) who were arrested last week were released from detention on Monday after their school dropped the charges against them over a violent demonstration. PO2 Aurelio Naral of the Manila Police District's General Assignments Section said the five students were released about 12:30 p.m. "PUP filed a desistance [affidavit], which, in effect, drops the charges against them," Naral told GMANews.TV in Filipino in a phone interview. Released were Ferrin Louise Soriano, 19; Chaser Soriano, 19, president of Central Student Council; Judy Anne Fabito, 19; Piem Canela, 18; and Abriel Mansilungan, 20.

Last week, they were slapped with robbery with intimidation and violence complaint after they supposedly took away several school properties during an indignation rally protesting a the PUP's planned tuition hike for laboratory-intensive courses like Engineering and Computer Management. Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported the five remained defiant as they clenched their fists while being welcomed by some 200 schoolmates at the police station. The report quoted the five students as saying that they will not apologize for their actions, where they allegedly took out school properties without the school's consent last week. However, they shook hands with PUP president Dante Guevarra, who paved the way for their release after he signed an affidavit of desistance dropping the charges against them. Also, the students said they will still watch Commission on Higher Education chairman Emmanuel Angeles and his promise of no tuition hikes for the coming school year. [See: Students get what they want: CHED chief vows to block PUP tuition hike] This, even as Guevarra said the 17-fold tuition increase, or from P12 to P200 per unit, was necessary. [See: PUP president says 17-fold tuition hike 'necessary'] — with Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV