The qualifications for a high-ranking government-run university set by the Commission on Higher Education were not met by the current Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila president Emmanuel Leyco.

CHEd made the announcement after the deadline it gave for the PLM to comply with the requirement that its president should possess a doctorate degree to be able to get Institutional Recognition and subsequently avail of government subsidy amounting to P350 million has lapsed.

Resolution 285-2023, reached at the 603rd regular commission en banc meeting held on 30 May 2023, states that before the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017, the PLM was categorized as one of the local universities and colleges eligible to avail of the benefits of the Free Higher Education component of the UAQTE.

The resolution said PLM is not exempted from CHEd's determination of quality tertiary institutions which will be beneficiaries of the said program and that in June 2018, all LUCs included in the program were told to comply with both IR and 100 percent certificate of program compliance within two years to continue getting such benefits.

It also said that one of the requirements to get IR is that the president shall hold an appropriate doctorate degree and that LUCs which failed to comply with earned doctorate degree requirement for the President were delisted and confirmed by the UniFAST governing board in its September 2022 board meeting.

"Based on the records of CHEd-NCR, the current President of PLM has no earned doctorate degree, which is a requirement under existing CHEd rules and regulations in order for an LUC to be granted Institutional Recognition," the resolution further said.

It was also resolved that "upon discussion and agreement… the Commission… directs PLM to comply within 15 days from receipt of this decision, with sanction that it will be recommended to the UniFAST Governing Board for delistment from the list of beneficiaries…"

The resolution reached on 30 May 2023 was signed by CHED chair Prospero de Vera III and Commissioners Ronald Adamat, Aldrin Darilag, Marita Canapi and Jo Libre and a copy of it was received by the PLM on 15 August 2023.

It will be recalled that twice, the Civil Service Commission invalidated Leyco's appointment also for failure to meet the education requirement for the position of PLM president.

Signed by CSC chairperson Alicia de la Rosa-Bala and CSC Commissioner Atty. Aileen Lourdes Lizada, the decision said that the petition for review filed by Leyco is "dismissed."

It also affirmed the
letter-decision issued 13 February 2020 by the
CSC-National Capital Region invalidating Leyco's appointment on the ground of his failure to meet the education requirement of the position.

In that 13 February 2020 decision, the CSC-NCR
invalidated Leyco's appointment on the ground that he did not meet the educational requirement of the position which is a doctorate degree. Leyco filed a petition for review and a decision was rendered by the CSC dismissing said petition.

In its ruling, the CSC said it applied the Qualification Standards provided under the 1997 Revised Qualification Standards Manual, pointing out that the qualifications required of a state  university president are: Appropriate doctoral degree and
five-year-experience in a position involving management and supervision. Both were not met by Leyco.

CHEd had categorized the PLM as a local  university and is thus covered by the said standards. Apart from having a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) or Ed.D. (Doctor of Education), the said position also requires "administrative and academic experience" or experience as a dean, vice president or chancellor of a university.

Another requirement is "proven track record" as administrator  of a college or university. He could also be a former president,
vice-president, dean, campus administrator or academic director who directly reports to the president or vice president of the institution where he served.