CHED’s Licuanan defends official trips in 2017
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Patricia Licuanan on Saturday denied accusations that her official foreign travels last year were not approved by the Palace.
In an official statement, Licuanan responded to accusations recently made by Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party-list Representative Jericho Nograles on Facebook alleging that the CHED chairperson did not obtain Malacañang approval for official travels she made in 2017.
In his post dated January 5, 2018, Nograles alleged the CHED chair might have “usurp the power” of President Rodrigo Duterte by “approving her own travel authority.”
This, Nograles said, is “contrary” to Executive Order 459 series of 2005 Section 1.a. which states that: “The following officials shall seek approval from the Office of the President for authority to travel abroad. a) Members of the Cabinet and officials of equivalent rank.” He also insinuated that “grave misconduct is defined by the Supreme Court as flagrant disregard of established rules, among others.”
“I get a travel authority from the Office of the President for all my travel including personal trips,” Licuanan maintained. “This is well documented… I issue travel authorities for all CHED officials but not for myself,” she added.
“It appears that what Rep. Nograles shared on his Facebook account as basis for his accusations is the internal Authority to Travel Abroad, which is routinely used to process the funds and is an attachment for securing Malacañang approval,” Licuanan said. Nograles posted photos of documents showing Licuanan requests for seven “official business” travels and one” personal travel” including: March 29-31,2017 (to attend as speaker in the High-Level Panel discussion on Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok, Thailand); June 18-22, 2017 (to attend “high-level meeting” of the Philippine California Advanced Research Institute in California USA); June 04-11, 2017 (to participate in the Journée Pays Philippines or Philippine Information Day and visit French Universities in Paris, France); June 26-July 1, 2017 (to attend as speaker of the International DIES Conference Female Leadership and Higher Education management in developing countries in Bonn, Germany); August 29-31, 2017 (study visit to Singapore Polytechnic International in Singapore for the implementation of the advancing Conceive Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) framework); October 10-13, 2017 (attend the Asian Dialogue for Innovation forum in Taipei, Taiwan); October 27-November 1 (family vacation to Singapore); and November 15-25 (attend the Canadian Bureau of International Education Annual Conference Exhibition in Halifax, Canada).
Meanwhile, CHED International Affairs Staff Director Atty. Lily Frieda Milla also clarified that “all official travels of the chairperson are covered by appropriate travel authorities from the Executive secretary.”