WHILE it respects the Ombudsman's decision to dismiss Commission on Higher Education (Ched) executive director Julito Vitriolo over his failure to stop the diploma mill operation in a state college, Malacañang is still expecting that the sacked official would clear his name.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the executive branch acknowledges the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman but was expecting that Vitriolo would take legal action to absolve himself.
“We recognize and respect the independence of the Ombudsman. It has a constitutional duty to fulfill. [However], we expect that Mr. Vitriolo and his legal representation would take the appropriate action to clear his name,” Andanar said in a statement.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered Vitriolo’s dismissal after he was found guilty of the administrative offenses of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, incompetence and inefficiency.
The Ombudsman said Vitriolo “acted with gross negligence for failing to heed the demand to investigate and stop the diploma mill, and for allowing the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) to issue transcripts of records and diplomas based on a suspended education program.”
Investigations found that the PLM and the National College of Physical Education (NCPE) signed a memorandum of agreement in 1996 that allowed the latter to use the facilities of PLM without compensation for a program to issue diplomas to the graduates. (Sunnex)
