Monday, October 08, 2007 Workers recommend Ched chief’s replacement
WITH the growing calls for the immediate resignation of Commission on Higher Education (Ched) chairman Romulo Neri, employees of the agency recommended an official who rose from the ranks to head the higher education office.
In a letter addressed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ronaldo Liveta, president of the Ched Employees Association-Central Office (Chedea), said they are endorsing Commissioner Saturino Ocampo Jr. to man the agency should Neri leave his post.
“We need a strong leadership in Ched which we believe could be realized under the stewardship of a kind hearted and dedicated father Commissioner Ocampo,” Liveta said.
Ched deputy executive director Julito Vitriolo also said the officials of the agency are also endorsing Ocampo for the post.
Neri is under fire after he refused to divulge before a Senate inquiry into the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with ZTE Corp. of the instruction given to him by President Arroyo in approving the project despite the controversies surrounding it.
Vitriolo said Ocampo possesses “solid and impeccable academic credentials” and has distinguished himself as an academical of note and good standing.
“His (Ocampo) unassuming and easy-to approach manner has endeared him to Ched officials and employees as well as that of his participative and democratic leadership style is what the Ched needs at this time and not the grandstanding and too-political posturing of others,” he said.
Prior to his appointment to Ched, Ocampo served as an undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology.
The Chedea and several Ched officials led by Vitriolo criticized fellow Commissioner Nona Ricafort for allegedly “grandstanding” to simply try to get the attention of Malacañang for her to be the agency’s chairperson.
Ricafort has declared that the P550 million call center project of the higher education office was under numerous controversies and could perhaps be overpriced.
She laughed off Chedea and Vitriolo’s “malicious” accusation.
Ricafort has been a strong contender to be next Ched chairman but was the target of a "white paper" recently from some quarters of Ched because of her call for an investigation on the call center project.
She particularly berated Vitriolo for using Chedea “to cover up” his alleged involvement in the awarding of the call center project to a “favored bidder.”
Vitriolo was the acting chairman of the agency’s bids and awards committee (BAC) when the project was awarded to a consortium led by E-Global Solutions, Inc.
More than P75 million have been released to the contractor but not a single call center project have been established in the 16 state colleges and universities (SUCs) that are beneficiaries of the project.
Because of this, Neri stopped the release of the funds pending investigation on the issue. (AH/Sunnex)
