IN SUPPORT OF DR. BUTED

LINGAYEN—About 6,000 students, faculty and non-teaching personnel of the Pangasinan State University (PSU) staged a “Unity Walk” Friday to show support for their embattled university president accused of alleged corruption.

Mark Joel Aguila, a Bachelor of Science in Criminology student and students’ representative at the Board of Regents, said the student body initiated the Unity Walk because they do not believe in the accusations leveled against Dr. Dexter Buted, PSU president, “by those who want to demolish him and our university.”

“We did that to show those who are sowing chaos in the PSU that student are angry at them for destroying to us,” Aguila added.

Students and employees stage Unity Walk for to support their PSU president Dr. Dexter Buted.

Students from nine campuses in different towns and cities in Pangasinan carrying placards and yellow balloons trooped here to join the Unity Walk.

Minerva Joy Fedralvez, president of Federated Faculty Association of PSU representing the faculty in the Board of Regents, said they are one with the students to show our unity in supporting our university and we do not want our institution destroyed,”

“Nobody owns our institution. It is owned by all. Anybody who wants to visit our institution, our gate is open to them. We want our students to have good future and to make their parents feel that their children are in good hands, especially under the administration of our president,” Fedralvez said.

Fedralvez stressed “there is no corruption happening in PSU”.

Dr. Buted, told local newsmen after the Unity Walk that he was overwhelmed by the support of the students and PSU staff to his administration amidst criticism hurled against him in a viral video uploaded in Facebook earlier this week

“It was a spontaneous show of support for me that started with a text message from our student and faculty regents and it spread in all our nine campuses across Pangasinan,” Buted, who assumed his position as PSU only a year ago, said.

He said he felt sad over the allegations made in the video and challenged the parties behind the video to prove their allegations.

“What is the corruption there? Did I pocket funds?,” Buted asked.

He said he merely corrected financial policies including directing all payments to the cashier. “These are all receipted. We do not pocket any amount because all is in the coffers of our university,” he said.

Other allegations included payments for school uniforms and books that Buted said were collected by chosen employees instead of being paid directly to the university.

He said in 2013, the university’s income was negative P400,000 and PSU began generating income surplus 2014 at P1.8-million and P11.3-million in 2015.

Buted said he suspects politics behind the attempts to discredit his administration and it has something to do with others’ perception that he is a supporter of former Rep. Mark Cojuangco who is running for governor against the son and namesake of graduating Gov. Amado Espino Jr.

He said the vigorous attacks against him started when a mock survey was held during a media forum in a hotel here joined by some PSU students where Mr. Cojuangco and his runningmate, Calasiao Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay ,won overwhelmingly over the young Espino and his tandem, incumbent Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr.

He said students in the video were not PSU students.

“Yes I came from Batangas but who truly cares for Pangasinan? I am here to improve and provide quality education for Pangasinan,” he said, adding that in his barely more than a year stint here, he has initiated several infrastructure projects like classroom buildings and repairs.

He maintained he has not involved himself in local political activities and he doesn’t intend to favor certain candidates. (Tita Roces)

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