Student and youth groups have criticized several senators for their alleged "deception" after claiming that that students are only protesting against “ghost budget cuts" in the education sector. The budget of a state university or college goes primarily to three components:
personal services (PS) or the salaries of teachers and other employees; capital outlay (CO) for the construction of new buildings and facilities, and maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) for water and electricity, maintenance of equipment and facilities, purchase of office supplies, among others. Based on data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the budget for the MOOE of SUCs decreased from P3.9 billion under Arroyo in 2010, to P2.8 billion under Aquino for 2011, said Kabataan Partylist (KPL) in a statement. Kabataan's research shows that out of the country’s 112 SUCs, 97 will have their MOOE funds slashed next year. For seven universities, including UP, the funds allotted for their MOOE will be slashed by over 50 percent. Meanwhile, there was zero allotment for capital outlay under the proposed 2011 budget for SUCs. A “manifesto of unity" calling for an increase in the budget of SUCs, signed by over 100 congressmen, noted that “the zero allotment for capital outlay will further deteriorate [SUCs’] physical facilities." According to the Kabataan Partylist, the only item with a substantial budget was PS, and that is mandated by law due to the revised Salary Standardization Law which raises the salary of teachers and other personnel. “P23.4 (billion) is lower than P23.8 (billion). The budget cut is not ‘alleged.’ It is not a ‘ghost.’ Noynoy himself has admitted to reducing the budget for SUCs," said University of the Philippines student regent Jaqueline Eroles told GMANews.TV on Sunday. For the year 2010, a budget of P23.8 billion has been allocated to SUCs. The figure is a sum of the P21 billion specified for SUCs by the Arroyo administration and some P2.8 billion in congressional insertions. Budget increase, not decrease Some senators argued that Malacañang’s proposed budget of P23.4 billion for SUCs in 2011 was actually higher than the P21 billion budget proposed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last year. “[While] there appears to be a deduction, the truth is, merong increase," said Drilon, explaining that congressional insertions for this year could not be retained in the 2011 budget. He further argued that the 2010 congressional insertions had, in the end, not even been released. So far, the budget released for SUCs this year has amounted to only P19.59 billion. "(They) got it all wrong. Parang multo yung pinagdedemonstrahan nila (It's like they're demonstrating against a ghost)," said Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. Flawed logic? However, in a statement, the alliance Kilos Na Laban sa Budget Cut told the lawmakers, “The numbers speak for themselves. Don’t lie about the budget cut." “With or without congressional insertions, the budget cut in significant segments of the government’s subsidy for SUC’s, the MOOE and CO, will effectively result in tuition and other fee increases that make higher education in the country inaccessible to the vast majority of the Filipino youth," said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino. "If by ghosts they meant an evil monster, then we agree that the budget cuts are ghosts," said Charisse Bañez, spokesperson of militant youth group Anakbayan. Tuition and other fee increases resulting from budget cuts are certainly "monsters, and any student’s worst nightmare," Bañez quipped. Reduced subsidy for SUCs President Benigno Aquino III said in his 2011 budget message to Congress in August that "We allocated P23.4 billion to 112 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in 2011. This is 1.7 percent lower than the P23.8 billion budget for 2010." "We are gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, given their ability to raise their [own] income," Aquino added. Aquino reiterated that the executive branch only lowered the budget for SUCs like UP because the country's premier state university has other sources of funds, such as tuition hikes and tie-ups with private corporations such as the UP-Ayala Technohub. In 2006, UP increased its tuition by over 300 percent, from a base rate of P300 to P1000 per unit. "Siguro kelangan naman ng konting pag-unawa. Hindi sa tinanggalan sila ng kakayahan matugunan yung kanilang pangangailangan. Nandun eh," Aquino said. (Perhaps there is a need for more understanding. We did not take away from them the means to respond to their needs. The means are there.) December 1 protest Meanwhile, youth groups vowed an intensified protest action on December 1, as the Senate prepares to pass the 2011 budget. “It's shameful how these government officials lie to the millions of youth and students who will be gravely affected by their policies. Our opposition to budget cuts continue. We will show them on December 1 as we march to the Senate," said UP Manila student council chairperson Ces Santos.– VVP, GMANews.TV 
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