CHED exec axed from service over diploma mill case

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal and filing of criminal charges against Commission on Higher Education (CHED) executive director Julito Vitriolo over his alleged failure to stop a state university from issuing diplomas and transcript of records despite the suspension of an education program.

In a resolution signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Vitriolo was found guilty of the administrative offenses including grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, incompetence and inefficiency.

Vitriolo was also charged before the Sandiganbayan with violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The ombudsman said Vitriolo “acted with gross negligence” when it failed to investigate and to stop the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) from issuing transcripts of record and diplomas based on a suspended education program.

Based on the ombudsman’s record, it was in 1996 when PLM entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the National College of Physical Education (NCPE).

The MOA supposedly states that “NCPE would use the facility of PLM without compensation but the PLM would select the faculty members for the agreed program and issue diplomas to the graduates.”

The ombudsman said PLM president Adel Tamano in 2008 suspended the MOA in view of the 2007 Commission on Audit finding that the agreement was prejudicial to the interest of the university.

The ombudsman said that despite the MOA’s suspension, Vitriolo, in 2010, “asserted that the transcript of records could be issued by PLM to the graduates... based on vested rights.”

The ombudsman further noted that the private complainant, Oliver Felix, a former PLM faculty, testified that as early as 2011, he had requested Vitriolo to investigate allegations that the PLM was engaged in diploma mill operations and yet the latter allegedly did nothing.

“Vitriolo failed to realize that such omission would result in adverse consequences to public funds spent in the implementation of the suspended PLM-NCPE MOA, and to 703 students under the MOA who had to suffer financial reverses for spending time and money for an education that was worthless in the eyes of the law,” Morales said in the resolution.

Morales said Vitriolo’s failure to reply within the 15-day period on the letters of requests for information on the PLM-NCPE MOA and to order investigation on the alleged diploma mill was a violation of RA 6713.

“By sheer inattention to communications addressed to him, the respondent showed not even the slightest care about requests from the public,” Morales said.

“Any public official who transgresses the standards for good public service or causes such transgression must bear the consequences,” Morales added. - With Janvic Mateo