NOT all is well at the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd). In fact, many things are amiss. It seems that the commissioners and their chairman, Prospero de Vera 3rd, are not on amicable terms and that is understandable. De Vera has caused the initiation of an investigation against Commissioner Aldrin Darilag, alleging that Darilag's trip abroad on official business included his wife — at government expense, a charge that was made public in The Manila Times and that the commissioner firmly denies. Mrs. Darilag traveled at her husband's expense — not at government expense.
Commissioner Mark Libre, for his part, is facing charges over supposedly extravagant board meetings of state universities and colleges (SUCs) over which he presides. But, by law, the chair of governing boards of SUCs is de Vera. He only designates commissioners when he cannot himself preside over meetings of boards of regents, so ultimately, de Vera must answer for the conduct of these meetings — if, in fact, they are extravagant and inordinate in respect to the costs incurred.
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