Republic of the Philippines

MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

Marawi City
UNIVERSITY LEGAL COUNSEL OFFICE/
LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

TO : NAGARANAO A. SANGCOPAN, MPA

Director
Housing Management Division

FROM : LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

This University

DATE : August 31, 2018

SUBJECT : Comment on the letter, coursed through the Malacanan

Presidential Management Staff, against the Housing
Management Division of this University
x----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

Dear Director Sangcopan,

This pertains to your request for this office to make a comment on the
letter sent by the Malacanan Presidential Management Staff regarding the
letter-complaint of a certain concerned constituent of MSU.

After a careful perusal of the said letter, its main contention is the
alleged special treatment of Muslim employees over Christian employees. In
order to verify this, I have requested that you provide this office with the
data/documents of how university cottages are awarded and how your office
hands orders to vacate such cottages. This office has received those
documents and after a careful study, this office submits the following
observations, to wit:

1. The Housing Management Division have issued Notices to Vacate

the university Cottages to several retired and former MSU
employees without any discrimination as to religious affiliation. As
of the present, Notices to Vacate has been issued to eleven (11)
former MSU employees who are Muslims. This data shows that
even Muslims, once they retire or cease from being an MSU
employee and in accordance with the MSU rules and regulation,
they have to vacate the university cottage awarded to them in order
1 | Comment on the letter, coursed through the Malacanan Presidential
Management Staff, against the Housing Management Division of this University
 to make way for the current MSU employees. Attached is the list
with the following dates of issuance.

2. The mentioned MSU retired Christian employees who have

received Notices to Vacate is well within the rules and regulation of
the university. Moreover, these cottages have been plagued by
illegal acts by the said users. Attached is the list of said employees
with the respective comments of your office.

3. As of the moment, the university has issued an unprecedented

forty-seven cottage awards to Christian employees of the university.
Attached is the list of employees with approved letter-request and
special orders.

4. The allegations in the said letter about encroachment are issues that
are better settled if complained before the Housing Management
Division, Community Relations Office or to the Office of the
University President. The university has an established rules and
regulations over these matters. It appears that the alleged
encroachment issues have not been forwarded to the respective
offices.

5. About the prayer to let Christian employees to relocate somewhere

else, the same is also unfounded. MSU-Main Campus is the only
university in the Philippines that enjoys the peaceful, tolerant and
mutual respect among and between Muslims and Christian.

6. Lastly, the present administration has been very proactive in

dealing with complaints, feedback and suggestions from its
constituency. If there are complaints about the housing
management in the campus, it is better if these are addressed to the
proper offices so that they can resolve the issues accordingly.

In view of the foregoing observations, this office is of the opinion

that the allegations in the letter-complaint are unfounded. It is submitted,
however, that these complaints, assuming they are true, must be forwarded
or addressed to the proper office concerned.
2 | Comment on the letter, coursed through the Malacanan Presidential
Management Staff, against the Housing Management Division of this University
 We hope we have addressed your concerns. Thank you.

Respectfully Yours,

ATTY. SHIDIK T. ABANTAS

University Legal Counsel/
Director II

3 | Comment on the letter, coursed through the Malacanan Presidential

Management Staff, against the Housing Management Division of this University