By Dhel Sue Cabiara
Following the Notice of Garnishmen
Silliman University Faculty Association (SUFA) Vice President Karl James Villarmea confirmed that the university’s bank issued a check amounting ₱38-million on Wednesday, Jan. 14, after a Notice of Garnishment was served to the administration last December 2025.
A Notice of Garnishment is a legal court order that directs a third party, such as banks, to withhold money or assets belonging to a debtor and to pay an amount owed to the creditor.
According to Villarmea, the check, which represents the faculty’s 70-percent share from the tuition fee increases, will be deposited to the union’s bank account.
The National Labor Relations Commission – Regional Arbitrary Branch (NLRC – RAB) VII currently holds the check.
SUFA President Asst. Prof. Jonathan Mark Te said that they are “waiting for the amount to be released” so they can distribute it to the members.
Prior to serving the Notice of Garnishment, a writ of execution was previously issued by Voluntary Arbitrator Alexander Franco Delatar last Sept. 22, 2025, compelling the administration to comply with the terms of judgment.
The writ is an order that mandates the university to release the amount to SUFA and states that a sheriff of NLRC – RAB VII shall enforce the ruling and collect the full amount from SU.
Villarmea noted that the SU administration did not immediately comply with the writ, resulting in the issuance of the garnishment last Dec. 12, 2025.
“Had the university administration issued a check immediately to us or NLRC, then there would have been no garnishment,” he said.
Villarmea, together with SUFA member Dr. Victor Aguilan and the NLRC sheriff, served the writ to the president’s office last Dec. 10, 2025 but were told that it would “refer to their legal counsel.”
Following the garnishment, the SU administration issued a statement on Facebook last Dec. 12, citing “irregularities in the proceedings and disruptions to university operations.”
Villarmea and Te asserted that there were no irregularities upon issuing the order and mentioned Delantar’s decision regarding the case.
“Even Voluntary Arbitrator Delantar mentioned in his decision denying their two motions for reconsideration that their petition is done in bad faith,” Villarmea explained.
He added there was no formal communication from the administration directly addressed to the union.
“They just issued two public statements and never even tried to have a conversation with us and so we were forced to seek recourse and that was the garnishment,” he said.
Last Jan. 14, SU announced that University President Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann officially resigned, effective by the end of the school year.
SUFA also responded that McCann’s resignation will not affect the status of the case, expressing that it hopes the next president will “uphold the rights and welfare of the academic personnel and [lawfully implement] the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).”
The union and the administration will be signing a new CBA by 2027.
