Controversial Cebu vice governor faked scholastic records, critics claim

CEBU CITY — Barely able to redeem himself from previous scandals, Vice Governor Fernando Celeste may again be in hot water for yet another controversy, this time for possibly falsifying his school records.

Celeste, in his personal data sheet submitted to the Department of the Interior and Local Government upon his assumption of office in 1998, wrote that he graduated with a degree in commerce from Ozamis City College, now Misamis University.

He also claimed to have completed his secondary studies in 1958 at the Maranding National High School in Lanao del Norte.

But provincial administrator Francisco Japson, spurred by radio reports that the vice governor was only able to finish elementary education in a public school in Badian, decided to check to upgrade his records at the Capitol.

Japson then wrote the schools from where Celeste claimed to have graduated and learned that the schools never heard of the vice governor.

The schools which Celeste claimed to have graduated from in high school and college disowned him, bolstering suspicions that the vice governor may have intentionally falsified his scholastic records.

Misamis University registrar Mildred Garcia, in a letter to the provincial administrator, said there are no records of a Fernando Celeste who graduated from the university.

Likewise, Eduvigis Gandionco, acting registrar of Maranding National High School said it is not possible for Celeste to have graduated from the school in 1958 because the school only started operating on June 1, 1980.

Celeste, who is affiliated with the ruling LAMP, recently got into trouble for airing tips for masiao, an illegal numbers game patterned after the results of the jai alai, in his daily radio program over station dyHP.

The Office of the Ombudsman eventually cleared Celeste, saying the vice governor had nothing to do with the programming of the station.

Achilles Cañete of the opposition Promdi said Celeste could be held criminally liable for falsification of public documents if somebody initiates a formal complaint.

"I’m not saying Celeste is a liar, only the data he wrote in that information sheet are false. That actuation already shows the kind of man he is," Cañete said.

Asked if this will be used by the opposition as an election issue, Cañete said he will leave the matter to Gov. Pablo Garcia.

Garcia, however, refused to comment on the issue saying it would be inappropriate for him to do so as he would be running for reelection against Celeste in the coming elections.

"I cannot comment on how serious this case is. But if there are statements that don’t conform with facts, that’s already a proof that there is a problem. However, I cannot take any action against him on the ground of delicadeza," Garcia said.

Department of the Interior and Local Government regional director Roberto Abejero said his office can only investigate the matter once there is an order from the central office and if there is a formal complaint.

Abejero said that although Celeste may have committed falsification of documents, it would be too early to infer the penalty of such violation.

Celeste could not be contacted for comment. The Freeman tried waiting for him at dyHP where he was supposed to have a radio program at 8:30 p.m. but he did not show up. — Freeman News Service