CHED chief quits after call from Malacanang

January 15, 2018

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair Patricia Licuanan has resigned following a phone call from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a press briefing on Monday, said President Rodrigo Duterte would accept Licuanan's resignation. "I wish to announce that the President has received the resignation of CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan and that it will be accepted by the President," he said. In a separate statement, Licuanan said over the weekend, she received a call from Medialdea "asking me to resign as chairperson" of CHED. "While my term by law ends in July 2018, I have decided it is time to go," she said. In Davao, President Rodrigo Duterte said he "dismissed" Licuanan, a former president of Maryknoll College. Speaking at the turnover ceremony of 26 units of Mitsubishi patrol vehicles and the inauguration of the new regional police crime laboratory, Duterte said:" Before I end, let me just say I have dismissed Licuanan today, the one from CHED." Without naming names, Licuana accused there were persons determined to get her out of CHED by hurling "false and baseless accusations" against her in "what appears to be a fishing expedition and a well-orchestrated move in media." Licuanan was accused of excessive travel and mismanagement and corruption in the release of allowances to faculty scholars in the K to 12 Transition Program. She explainedthat records showed that she travelled eight times officially in 2017, with only five paid by the government; five times in 2016, six times in 2017, two times in 2014, and only three times in 2013 and with travel authority from the Office of the President. She also denied mismanagement and corruption in the release of allowances to faculty scholars. "I must strongly denounce malicious allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds. It has been my personal commitment to stamp out corruption in CHED since day one, despite the odds and the strong resistance. The K to 12 Transition Program has been implemented with the highest level of ethical stewardship and every peso is accounted for," she said. "Although I vehemently deny the accusations against me, it is time to resign as my continued presence in CHED is inimical to the interest of the institution. It will only serve as lightning rod to attract more controversy that is distracting the agency from vigorously pursuing urgent reforms that will redound to the benefit of future generations of Filipinos. It is particularly important for CHED to focus on its work especially at this critical time when it prepares for the implementation of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act," Licuanan stressed. She said she was grateful for having the opportunity to serve Philippine higher education. "My only wish is for reforms that ought to transcend political divides and have their roots in many previous administrations---reforms of access and equity, quality and relevance, excellence and competitiveness, and good governance---to continue when the CHED political cloud dissipates and the agency settles down to the task of pursuing its mandate," she said. As a private citizen, she vowed to continue as a dedicated advocate for reform in Philippine higher education. Roque refused to say if Licuanan was the chair of agency whom the President would fire as he mentioned in a press briefing late last week. "This was a resignation, an act of Chairperson Licuanan herself. Her resignation has rendered all controversies be moot and I don’t feel compelled to issue any statement in that regard," he said. Licuanan was an appointee of former President Benigno Aquino III. In December 2016, Duterte, through Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., asked Licuanan not to attend anymore the Cabinet meetings. This was shortly after the President also asked Vice President Leni Robredo from opposition Liberal Party from attending the Cabinet meetings, prompting her to quit as the concurrent chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. Celerina Monte/DMS