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RTC orders SLU to admit student leader

BAGUIO CITY (June 23) — A student leader of the Saint Louis University (SLU) here, who was denied admission for this semester, won the first round of his legal battle when Executive Judge Iluminada Cabato-Cortes of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) here granted an order against SLU for it to desist from not admitting the student leader.

On June 22, Supreme Student Council (SSC) President Arthur Leonard B. Odsey filed for temporary restraining order which the RTC granted. He processed his enrolment today, Nordis learned in an interview. His fellow SSC officers and other students cheered when he enrolled.

In the case he filed for injunction, Odsey also seeks damages amounting to P3 million and almost P50,000 in attorney’s fees and litigation expenses against respondents SLU and the dean of its College of Natural Sciences.

Odsey’s non-admission was due to his failing grades in his three subjects last summer.

Real reason for non-admission

But the SSC, in a statement however, believed that the non-admission of Odsey was because of his active involvement in student actions against the policies of the administration, like their protests against tuition fee increases and the case pending in court they filed against this increases. They further added that the non-admission is a harassment aimed to silence Odsey which they claimed is still the legitimate student council president.

Nordis learned that Odsey got failing grades in Clinical Taxology and Clinical Pharmacy and obtained an incomplete grade in Pharmacology, which he later completed.

Dr. Gaudalia Reyes, Natural Sciences dean, who was allegedly advised by the guidance officer that Odsey should not be admitted, left the decision-making to the faculty. After hearing from Odsey why he failed the two subjects, the faculty was convinced and decided to admit him.

However the dean did not honor the faculty decision. On June 13, three days after the last day of enrolment, Odsey appealed for the dean to allow him to enroll but she stuck to her decision.

Earlier, the SSC noted that the guidance counselor claimed that Odsey could not be kicked out because of his behavior but he could be kicked out due to his (failing) grades. They alleged in their statement that the failing mark is to ensure his non-admission.

Meanwhile, the injunction case filed by Odsey against SLU was raffled today at 10:30 A.M. said Manja Bayang, one of Odsey’s counsels. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS

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