CHEd, center of corruption

Instead of being a center of excellence, it had become a center of graft and corruption from 2010 until 29 May 2025, when President Bongbong Marcos appointed Shirley Agrupis the new chairperson of CHEd.

It will take decades for Agrupis to remove the ugly stain of corruption perpetuated by CHEd, the university president, and the members of the board of regents of the science and technical university involved in the irregularities.

On 21 July 2010, President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed Patricia B. Licuanan chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education or CHEd. Licuanan held the post until 15 January 2018.

Licuanan appointed Dr. Ricardo E. Rotoras president of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), although she knew this guy had been convicted by the Ombudsman, with the conviction affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Because of his closeness to Licuanan, Dr. Rotoras was elevated to the presidency of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) despite his conviction.

The implication of this appointment of Dr. Rotoras, where he could influence other presidents and regents, cannot be underestimated.

Licuanan fully supported the actions of Dr. Rotoras and his board of regents, which terminated on 10 January 2017 the contract of Wing-An Construction Development Corporation for the construction of an eight-story student center and education complex for P200 million after Wing-An refused to accede to the 10-percent SOP of the university to be distributed among the regents.

The termination was based on the following flimsy grounds, to wit: unauthorized subcontracting; substitution of key personnel; and failure to deploy key personnel. These allegations turned out to be untrue.

CHEd Commissioner Ronald Adamat, PhD, was implicated in a complaint for oppression and serious dishonesty filed on 11 September 2018 for violation of Republic Act 3019.

On 22 January 2024, the Office of the President imposed a 90-day preventive suspension against CHEd Commissioner Aldrin A. Danilag who was accused of grave misconduct, neglect in the performance of duty, and abuse of authority or oppression.

On 12 March 2024, Darilag filed with the Ombudsman a complaint for graft and corruption and grave abuse of authority under RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, against CHEd Chairman Prospero de Vera III.

The effect of these anomalies committed by CHEd and school authorities is devastating to our youth in Mindanao. The students are the real victims of their shameful behavior. The young men and women are deprived of better educational facilities that could help them advance their educational attainment.

Our next episode on Thursday will be about the agonizing experience of a construction firm whose owners were made to suffer and were tortured to martyrdom by CHEd and members of the board of regents with PhDs after their names.