By Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos and Ina Hernando Malipot
Embattled Commission on Higher Education chairperson Patricia Licuanan, who has been hounded by various controversies in the past few days, resigned from her post yesterday.
President Duterte will accept her resignation, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Roque said Licuanan’s resignation was received via email at around 8 a.m. yesterday. “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,” Roque said.
“It was received at 8 o’clock in the morning by e-mail. A hard copy is forthcoming. I’ve not seen the copy of the forthcoming. I’ve been advised, though, that since it’s been received, it will be accepted,” he added.
Roque said the President has not yet disclosed who will replace Licuanan. He said the most senior among the CHED commissioners will take over the position of chairperson in an acting capacity.
Licuanan officially announced her resignation during the flag-raising ceremony yesterday at the CHED main office in Quezon City. Licuanan had expressed her intention to finish her term until July this year but was “asked to resign” from her post over the weekend. She is expected to turn in her resignation papers today.
In her resignation statement, Licuanan said she received a call from Executive Secretary Medialdea asking her to resign as chairperson of the CHED over the weekend. “While my term by law ends in July 2018, I have decided it is time to go,” she said.
Licuanan said that it “has become obvious that there are persons determined to get me out of CHED by hurling false and baseless accusations against me in what appears to be a fishing expedition and a well-orchestrated move in media.”
While Licuanan strongly denies the accusations against her, she opted to step down from her post as her continued presence in CHED is “inimical to the interest of the institution.”
Licuanan noted that should she insist to stay, “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.”
Licuanan has been accused by PBA party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles of making unauthorized foreign trips in the past two years. She has denied the allegations and said that all her foreign travels are documented and were approved by the Office of the President.
