Education

Academic Freedom (Art. XIV Sec.5[2] 1987 Constitution)

Isabelo, Jr. vs. Perpetual Help College of Rizal
Facts:
Manuelito Isabelo, Jr. is a senior graduating student of Criminology at
Perpetual Help College of Rizal (PHCR). He was then elected as Public Relations
Officer (P.R.O) of the Supreme Student Government sometime in August 1990. Then
on 08 May 1991, he was invited to attend a meeting with PHCR officials. Said
meeting, among other things, intended to implement a 20% tuition fee increase
starting the school year 1991-1992. Manuelito refused to sign the resolution instead
asked for a 2-week period to take on the matter with fellow officers.
Then during the said meeting, the student council present a 9-point proposal.
With an assurance that the request proposal would be granted, he finally signed the
resolution. Then upon filing for motion for reconsideration of the Student
Government to the DECS (Department of Education, Culture and Sports) the tuitionfee increase and granting the motion thereof, Manuelito was one of the students
that has been dropped from the list of students of 1991-1992 on the account that
he does not comply all of the requirements of the college.
Issue:
Whether or not PHCR can invoke Academic Freedom in dropping the
petitioners from its roll of students.
Held:
Like any other right, however, academic freedom has never been meant to be
an unabridged license. It is a privilege that assumes a correlative duty to exercise it
responsibly. The case was remanded to DECS.