Calls mount for ouster of CFCST president

COTABATO CITY --- More than 600 farmers, students, employees, and faculty members under the Save CFCST Movement held a protest camp recently inside the grounds of the Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology in Arakan, North Cotabato demanding the ouster of school president, Samson Mulao, whom protesters linked to frustrated murder, corruption, and mismanagement.

Harris Sinolinding, faculty representative of the Save CFCST Movement, was nearly killed in an ambush while on his way to the school three months ago. He linked Mulao to the attempt on his life.

Sinolinding, who was inside his car, was shot by two unidentified gunmen while inside the campus last August 2. He survived the ambush unscathed, but the incident affected his teaching duties and his movements in Arakan.

“I do not have any enemies, except those I’ve made as a vocal critic of the CFCST administration because of corruption,” he stressed.

The attempt on Sinolinding’s life came two years after gunmen killed CFCST’s vice president, Delfin Moreno, three days after he led a rally denouncing the mismanagement of the school.

The incident was followed by the ambush last year of CFCST’s administrator, Cedric Mantawil, who was also critical of the alleged mishandling of the school coffer by certain officials.

Mantawil, who was seriously wounded in the attack, has since been receiving death threats via text messages from anonymous senders.

CFCST’s Vice President Delfin Plang Moreno was gunned down back on September 13, 2013 while Engr. Cedric Mantawil, the school’s planning officer who also questioned the anomalies in the school projects, survived an ambush on Novsember 21, 2015.

Sinolinding also revealed the construction of the buildings as “substandard,” saying Mulao is suspected to be involved in the alleged anomalous construction of school buildings and other purchases by awarding the contracts to his kins and favored members of the administration.

Sinolinding said they cannot stand the situation anymore and the only solution is to change the leadership.

Meanwhile, Glenda Saligan, who represents the employees of the CFCST said they have already forwarded their concerns to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). However, it later surfaced that the committee’s findings favoured Mulao.

In addition, farmer leader Cecilio Carmilo said the CFCST has only developed 300 out of its 1,000 hectare reservation and should give the remaining 700 hectares back to the farmers who have been tilling the lands.

Carmilo said the farmers are in constant danger of being driven away from their lands because of the title acquired by the CFCST in 2009.

The CFCST was established in 1969 by local leader Bai Matabay Plang inside the 1,000 hectare land reservation in Barangay Doruluman, Arakan Village, North Cotabato which was awarded through Republic Act 3801.

The same land was part of the 5,091 hectare reservation area of the University of Southern Mindanao (then Mindanao Institute of Technology) awarded through Presidential Proclamation No. 428 signed by then President Carlos P. Garcia.

Students disclosed several complaints lodged against the administration. Elfred Llave, 21, criticized the school’s “low” quality of education, saying “there is no future here. When we graduate, what jobs will we get? This is because we are not given the quality education that we deserve.”

Another student Aiza Sumalia, 26, also criticized the Mulao administration for its failure to deliver the services.

Sumalia said each student has been paying P350 for the “connectivity fee” but they have not been able to use the internet service up to now.

She said a tower has recently been built, but the internet network is not made available to the students because they were not given the password.

It was learned the tower was erected only after they mounted a protest rally in front of the CHED office.

Recently, acting governor of North Cotabato Shirlyn Macasarte reiterated her appeal to the CHED to act on the leadership crisis in the CFCST.

“CHED must act now on the continuing protest actions in the campus,” Macasarte said.

Classes in the state-run agricultural college have been suspended since students and teachers started their picket more than two weeks ago. Teachers also asked the police to search for firearms in the offices and living quarters of recalcitrant school officials.

Macasarte said she has also requested the Provincial Police Office to secure the CFCST campus to prevent any outbreak of hostilities there.

In an interview, Mulao said he will never vacate his post since there is no criminal or any graft case filed against him.

He said only the CHED can take him out and install a school caretaker to replace him.

Meanwhile, Dr.Kadil M. Sinolinding, Jr., who is the regional secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said he is a proud alumnus of the CFCST.

“We just want to regain the old glories and quality of education of our beloved institution,” he said. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)