“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” — William Shakespeare
On June 19, 1965, the political leaders of Palawan made concerted efforts to establish a public tertiary academic institution to uplift literacy and primarily educate the “non-Christians” or members of the indigenous tribes.
Prior to the scheduled presidential elections of December 1965, then Palawan lone district Congressman Gaudencio Abordo authored a bill intended to create the Palawan Teachers College.
Abordo wanted to be reelected as Congressman, and the bill he authored was his campaign slogan during the 1965 election, but he was defeated by Ramon V. Mitra Jr.
His brainchild was Republic Act No. 4303, establishing the Palawan Teachers’ College (PTC) in the barrio of Tiniguiban in the municipality of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It has only 16 provisions.
It was clearly stated that the PTC aimed to provide professional education, particularly for non-Christian tribes.
According to Abordo’s law, the college’s president would oversee its administration. No one else was mentioned.
The Act took effect upon its approval on June 19, 1965. It was published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 62, No. 25, p. 4380, on June 20, 1966.
According to Abordo’s law, the purpose of the Palawan Teachers’ College was to provide professional and technical instruction, with special provisions for the non-Christian tribes in the entire province of Palawan, and for progressive leadership in the field of elementary and secondary education.
As time passed, the PTC evolved in the lives of every Palaweno, and its juridical name changed to Palawan State College, then eventually became Palawan State University, or PSU.
PSU now has a system that branches out to different municipalities in Palawan to reach students who cannot afford to study at the main campus in Puerto Princesa City. This created a larger and heavier responsibility for the University President.
Recently, some 169 graduating students from the College of Business Administration (CBA) of PSU complained and had nowhere to go because they were duped by CBA professors regarding an international tour in Dang Ng, Vietnam.
In cahoots with irresponsible travel agents and grossly negligent university professors, who collected cash from poor CBA students of PSU, allegedly amounting to P60,000 each for international plane tickets and other expenses.
At least nine professors were involved in this anomalous Vietnam travel, scheduled for April 21 to 27, 2025.
All PSU professors must be reminded that any exaction of money from students is not allowed by law or rules and is, therefore, patently illegal.
Where was University President Ramon Docto before these illegal transactions occurred in the CBA?
I wonder if the College Dean of Business Administration informed Docto that more than 100 business administration students, along with their professors, intended to hold an international tour in Vietnam.
Docto, as President, serves as the University’s chief executive officer. He is in charge of the university’s overall management.
Docto remained silent in his air-conditioned office while the poor students were saddened and crying as their parents sought justice for what happened.
Docto, his vice presidents, the members of the board of regents, and all the professors at PSU are relevant because of the students.
Docto and his colleagues at PSU exist not only to receive salaries and perks but to serve the students with utmost care, as dictated by law.
No one should make a business deal inside the University involving students unless expressly allowed by the Board of Regents and the University President, in this case, Docto.
It is said that an investigating panel was created to determine who committed the fault, but doubts of collusion among PSU officials and professors cannot be avoided.
It would be better if the parents went to the local office of the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct the investigation so that appropriate criminal charges could be filed in the proper court, and if necessary, before the Office of the Ombudsman.
I know that cash changed hands in this botched Vietnam trip for students. It is impossible to believe that the College Dean was innocent of this shenanigan.
If any professors received a commission from the travel agents, they would be liable for graft before the Ombudsman.
Docto must ensure that there was not a single “non-Christian” victim in these corrupt transactions, or else he would face severe consequences.
The Board of Regents must formulate clear guidelines to protect students from these vulture-like travel agents roaming around the University premises.
Docto, as University President, was grossly negligent when he failed to know that parents were raising money to pay for the dubious international tour.
I heard that most of them had only borrowed money with usurious interest to pay for the trip.
Docto committed serious lapses when he failed to get the right information from the Dean of the College of Business Administration regarding whether they had conducted due diligence about the tour agency’s capacity to do business with PSU.
To avoid further blunders, Docto issued a gag order dated June 10, 2025, to student organizations.
Docto wanted to control the release of information on social media, requiring it to be scrutinized by the public information office, in violation of freedom of expression.
Docto was never trained to handle pressure, as he was merely a simple teacher in the PSU Laboratory High School in previous years.
In one of my visits to the Palawan Provincial Board in June 2018, I asked then Board Member and now Vice Governor Leoncio Ola about the still-vacant position of PSU President.
I whispered to him: “Who was the choice of Governor Jose Alvarez?”
Ola replied to me: “I think he (JCA) liked the Pastor.”
One month later, on July 6, 2018, Docto received his appointment from the Board of Regents, confirming his four-year term as President of PSU.
I heard that most of them had only borrowed money with usurious interest to pay for the trip.
Docto committed serious lapses when he failed to get the right information from the Dean of the College of Business Administration regarding whether they had conducted due diligence about the tour agency’s capacity to do business with PSU.
To avoid further blunders, Docto issued a gag order dated June 10, 2025, to student organizations.
Docto wanted to control the release of information on social media, requiring it to be scrutinized by the public information office, in violation of freedom of expression.
Docto was never trained to handle pressure, as he was merely a simple teacher in the PSU Laboratory High School in previous years.
In one of my visits to the Palawan Provincial Board in June 2018, I asked then Board Member and now Vice Governor Leoncio Ola about the still-vacant position of PSU President.
I whispered to him: “Who was the choice of Governor Jose Alvarez?”
Ola replied to me: “I think he (JCA) liked the Pastor.”
One month later, on July 6, 2018, Docto received his appointment from the Board of Regents, confirming his four-year term as President of PSU.
