Following the budget allocation statement released by the Far Eastern University Central Student Organization (FEUCSO) yesterday, Kadiwa Student Coalition FEUCSO President Lawrence Aidan Cunanan asserted that he did not accuse the council of withholding 3.5 million organizational funds through a Facebook post today, April 19.

Citing his inquiry about the placement of the 3.5 million funds during the elections Grand Debate yesterday, Cunanan took accountability for the misleading nature of his statements, which were construed as an attack on the student council.

Further, the Kadiwa presidentiable clarified that he was only referring to the period between February 19 and March 6, when the funds were not collected on time.

Noting the 13-day delay before FEUCSO claimed the cheque from the Student Development Office, Cunanan stated that his query was intended to get an explanation behind it.

“I never said that FEUCSO withheld any money, what I was asking is why delay the claiming of the cheques kung OCP [One Concierto Piyu] pa lang ay matagal nang hinihintay at ipinaglalaban ang Organizational Funds (when the Organizational Funds have long been asked and fought for since OCP). What took FEUCSO 13 working days?” he said.

The post of the Kadiwa President prompted incumbent FEUCSO Treasurer Elaine Ragos to comment on the issue, attributing the delay to the new metrics for fund distribution and the number of enrollees that were in accordance with the collected organization fee.

“The presented allocations no longer follow the Fund Transfer Mechanics we student organizations used to practice in the recent terms,” she explained.

The Kadiwa President apologized for the execution of his queries but remained firm on seeking transparency and accountability.

Cunanan raised the query regarding the 3.5 million fund during the FEUCSO Elections 2024 Grand Debate last April 18, eliciting various reactions and statements from students and officers. 

In his statement, he called upon several organizations and offices to address the issue, including FEU Advocate, FEU Student Development, and FEUCSO.

- Shayne Elizabeth Flores

(Photo by Gwyneth Mendoza/FEU Advocate)