A TOP official of the Commission on Higher Education told embattled chairperson Patricia Licuanan to retract her “malicious” claims that he and a career official were plotting against her ouster.
“I have never questioned her leadership but I question the chairman of the commission when she levels unfounded accusations against a commissioner. I think that is irresponsible and that has to be retracted because there is absolutely no basis for that,” Ched Commissioner Prospero De Vera said in a television interview.
“Politicking and seeing ghosts behind every move and insinuating that another commissioner is out to topple her takes away the impotance of the work of Ched,” he stressed.
Licuanan had earlier accused De Vera and Executive Director Julito Vitriolo, the highest carreer official in the state higher education body of conspiring against her following Vitriolo’s recommendation to appoint an officer-in-charge “who enjoys his trust and confidence.”
Duterte has so far appointed two officials inside the Ched, De Vera and former Rep. Ronald Adamat who replaced outgoing Commissioner Ruperto Sangalang, whose term expired last July 2016.
De Vera likewise denied he called for the latter’s resignation.
“I find this statement irresponsible, malicious, and unbecoming of an academician, a former Cabinet member, and chairperson of the top policy making body in higher education,” he said.
“The accusation that I am working with Vitriolo to kick out the Ched Chair is not only spiteful, it is also unfounded. I barely know the Ched officials as I have been with the Commission for only three months,” he added.