MANILA, Philippines - Classes at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) have been suspended until Friday as protesters blocked the campus entrance as they call on the university's president to step down.
The students are calling for the ouster of USM president Dr. Jesus Antonio Derije over a supposed complaint filed against him before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In a statement, Derije said that he will stay put in his position "no matter what."
“Unless I am declared guilty [of] all the allegations the rallyists have hurled against me, I will hold on to this position,†he said.
The university president also challenged the USM Multi-Stakeholders Group to show documents that would prove that he had been charged before the DOJ.
“Until now, I was not given information that the DoJ has received such complaints against me. But if there was, I believe the DoJ will exhaust all means to know the truth. As of this time, the DoJ has not released anything as regards these complaints,†Derije said.
Dr. Antonio Tacardon, a member of the USM's Board of Regents, meanwhile, said that the university's performance since Derije took over last year has been "exemplary."
“During the recent Licensure Examination for Teachers, three of the graduates at the USM were among the top 10 examinees; while their engineering department had a 100 percent passing rate during the recent board exam. The performance of the university, in the past, had been very commendable,†said Tacardon.
It was the board that recommended Derije’s re-appointment at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).