THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of Commission on Higher Education (Ched) commissioner Jo Mark Libre over nepotism and grave misconduct.
The charges to which Libre was found guilty of by the Office of the Ombudsman was in relation to the appointment of his relatives under his immediate supervision.
The Office of the Ombudsman said the penalty carries with it the cancellation of his eligibility, forfeiture of his retirement benefits except for accrued leave credits, and his perpetual disqualification for reemployment in government service.
Libre was appointed as Ched Commissioner on February 9, 2022 by then President Rodrigo Duterte.
In 2019, Libre was found guilty by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Davao Region for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, fabrication of official documents, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.
Libre appealed the CSC decision but the agency issued a notice in November 2023, standing by its decision except over his guilt of falsification of official documents.
The complaints were filed against Libre by Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) president Jonathan Bayogan, who said that the latter increased the price of his and his fellow teacher’s plane tickets for an educational trip in Singapore in 2016.
Meanwhile, Ched Chairman Prospero de Vera III said he will sit as the Board of Regents (BOR) chairman of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines and five other state universities and colleges in Mindanao following Libre’s dismissal.
Chairmanship of other SUCs, which were under Libre, will be divided to three other commissioners. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
