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[av_heading heading=’CHED chair under fire for trips, tuition delay ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairwoman Patricia Licuanan had been going abroad on official capacity without securing travel authority from the Office of the President (OP), a party-list lawmaker claimed.
Licuanan committed grave misconduct and usurpation of authority for issuing herself “Authority to Travel Abroad” instead of requesting one from President Rodrigo Duterte, said Jericho Nograles of Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta.
Nograles said he has obtained documents showing that Licuanan requested seven “official business” travels and one “personal” travel, and spent at least P893,102 in government funds.
“Her actions were contrary to Executive Order No. 456, series of 2005, which required all members of the Cabinet and officials of equivalent rank to secure their travel authority from the OP,” the lawmaker said in a statement.
Copies of documents obtained by Nograles also showed that Licuanan travelled to Thailand, United States, France, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, and Canada via business class.
President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial “Al” Amaro III and Presidential Commission on Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon for allegedly excessive overseas travels.
But unlike them, Licuanan cannot be immediately dismissed by the President.
“The President cannot just remove chair Licuanan without cause, as this is guaranteed under the Constitution, but her latest action where she usurped the authority of the OP could be a basis for her removal or suspension,” Nograles said.
“This can be also a ground to file charges of grave misconduct and usurpation of authority against Licuanan before the Office of the Ombudsman, which could hound her even after her retirement this year,” he added.
The CHED chairwoman denied Nograles’ allegations. She insisted that the OP has approved all her overseas travels.
“I get a travel authority from the [OP] for all my travels, including personal trips,” Licuanan said in a statement released on Sunday.
“This is well documented. I issue travel authorities for all CHED officials but not for myself,” Licuanan added.
SCHOLARS’ TUITION
Meanwhile, Nograles urged his fellow representatives to investigate the alleged delay in the release of tuition for CHED scholars, mostly teachers pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees.
“Where did the money go? These funds have been allotted to CHED, so why can’t Chair Patricia Licuanan release the funds?” Nograles said. “Thousands of CHED K-12 Transition Scholars have not received their living allowances since 2016.”
“Congress barely managed to raise the needed funds for our free college education law. Every single centavo of this fund should be used judiciously,” he added.
Licuanan admitted that the release of the tuition fund had “slowed down.”
“CHED acknowledges that the delays have caused pain to our scholars, many of whom rely on the living allowances for the daily subsistence of their families,” she said in a statement.
Licuanan said the delay was due to the volume of documents, the CHED internal system’s not being designed to take in a large quantity of scholarship administration, discrepancies in requirements, additional requirements from the Commission on Audit, and delays in submission of requirements./PN
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