Due to conduct prejudicial to public interest, a former official of the Commission on Higher Education has been dismissed by the Ombudsman for the second time.
CHED Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III confirmed that former CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo has been dismissed by the Ombudsman last Dec. 16, 2019.
“The Ombudsman approved the decision which finds Vitriolo liable for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and simple misconduct,” he said. “There is also an accessory penalty for Vitriolo to be no longer employed in government service,” he added.
De Vera said that the dismissal was based on a case filed by former CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan against Vitriolo.
In 2016, Vitriolo called for the resignation of Licuanan. “In asking for the resignation of Licuanan and in inducing others to seek her replacement as CHED chairperson, Vitriolo overstepped the bounds of propriety and ethical standards,” De Vera noted.
“His comportment tarnished the image of his office as he created an atmosphere of leadership impasse within CHED and sowed disunity,” he explained.
CHED noted that Vitriolo had been previously dismissed last December 2016 by former Ombudsman Conchita Morales based on the “alleged irregularities” at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
De Vera noted that the administrative liability of Vitriolo anent the charges hurled against him by Oliver Felix, former faculty member of PLM, has “yet to be resolved by the SC.” Thus, De Vera said, “it is a live issue which is still pending determination in the separate pending case” docketed as G.R. No. 237129 entitled “Oliver B. Felix v. Julito D. Vitriolo.”
“Despite the pendency of the said case, a dismissal order of Ombudsman is immediately executory,” De Vera said. “CHED will implement this recent Ombudsman case and dismiss Vitriolo anew from government service,” he added.
De Vera explained that Vitriolo was also ordered suspended for three months by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Oct. 4, 2019 for his issuance of a memorandum recommending that CHEd “issue a provisional permit in favor of a private school.”
This memorandum, the CHED chairman said, was “in violation” of CHEd’s en banc resolution which earlier “disapproved” the private school’s application. (Ina Hernando Malipot)