Quoted from Sunstar Baguio Newspaper:
"Tuesday, February 12, 2008
SLU leader in trouble for P400k walkway
By Rimaliza Opiña
THE president of Supreme Student Council (SSC) of Saint Louis University (SLU) is embroiled in a controversy involving the P400,000 worth shaded walkway that connects three buildings of the university. SSC president Michael Karl Flores was accused of irregularity when he implemented the construction of three walkways for the Diego Silang, Waldo Perfecto, and Otto Hahn buildings despite the absence of appropriations for the project under the SSC's general appropriations act. According to Elton Jun Veloria, former SSC secretary for public relations, construction of the walkway was done during the Christmas break-at a time when officers did not have time to "stop" its installation. Veloria, along with SSC secretaries for finance and audit Paul Christian Cortez and Valerie Marcius Aquino, withdrew their support to the resolution approving construction of the walkway after the Congress of Louisians ratified the proposed budget, but without the P400,000 for the walkway, as proposed by Flores. "It was only on the third week of December 2007 we found out that not only did the Congress of Louisians remove the shaded walk from the budget proposal, it also scrapped the P400,000 proposed budget which you placed in that item," Veloria, Cortez and Aquino pointed out in their letter to Flores dated January 7. Veloria said they are not against the project, but stressed funds for the purpose should come from the SLU administration, not from funds allotted for the SSC. He added that the SLU accounting office did not release any amount because the project was not approved. Veloria ceased to be an officer of the SSC, last month, reported for incurring a succession of absences during meetings of the SSC executive committee. The SSC constitution and bylaws provide officers who fail to attend four consecutive meetings will be deemed removed from office. However, Veloria asserted that he was not absent in any of their meetings. He claimed his removal was meant to restrain opposition to the project. Sun.Star tried to get Flores's comment via his cellular phone, but he did not respond. However, in a document obtained by Sun.Star, Flores argued that the proposed budget was deemed approved, because the Congress of Louisians failed to ratify the budget within the required time period, which is 10 days from the day it was submitted for appropriation. Section 10 of SSC budget processing procedure deems the proposed budget as the final budget if Congress of Louisians fails to pass an appropriations act, within the prescribed period. In response, the Congress of Louisians, through its speaker Rolirey Flores said the congress acted within the time period and was transmitted to the execom. This issue was referred to the Student Affairs Office. This in turn was referred to the student court. However, Veloria said the matter would remain unresolved because members of the student court have yet to be appointed. The student court is composed of 10 members. It was created by the Congress of Louisians under the committee on appointments. "
