BUDGET Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad on Thursday denied a report from a militant youth group that Malacañang is allegedly encouraging state universities and colleges (SUCs) to raise tuition and other fees next year.

Abad was referring to the statement of the national youth group Anakbayan quoting him as saying that “President Aquino has issued a new policy and guidelines allowing schools to increase their tuition and other charges next year to help them make more money” in the face of a second budget cut to SUCs in as many years of the Aquino administration.

Abad said the President has not issued any policy or guidelines to that effect.