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By James Konstantin Galvez, Reporter
After having his name dragged into the
$329-million national broadband scandal and being criticized by
various educational institutions, Commission on Higher Education
acting chair Romulo Neri is reportedly on the way out of the agency
by August.
Sources inside the commission also said that
Neri will soon be appointed Social Security System (SSS) chief,
replacing Corazon de la Paz.
It can be recalled that since Neri was appointed
to his current position in August 2006, he has been wanting to get
out of the commission, saying he was appointed only as an acting
chair to “fix” the problems in tertiary education sector and
that he intended to stay only for three months.
But President Gloria Arroyo extended his stay up
to August 2008.
Neri, an economics professor at the University
of the Philippines, served as President Arroyo’s economic manager
by heading the National Economic and Development Authority until his
appointment to the higher education body.
Organizations dismayed
Authorities in the academe, including officials
Coordinating Council of Private Education Associations (Cocopea) as
the well as the Philippine Association of State Universities and
Colleges questioned Neri’s appointment to the commission since he
does not possess doctoral degree which a mandatory requirement.
Cocopea represents a consortium of private
education institution in the country with more than 2,500 member
schools including the five major school associations.
The Philippine Association of Colleges and
Universities (PACU) earlier demanded the immediate resignation of
Neri, saying his “brilliance is misplaced’’ at the commission.
“Apparently, [Neri] has other things in mind
than attend to higher education concerns. Mrs. Arroyo can use
Neri’s ability in other concerns. He should be put somewhere else
where he is badly needed,’’ said PACU President Dr. Gonzalo
Duque.
Stakeholders in the higher education sector also
criticized Neri’s administration for “playing deaf and
blind’’ to tertiary education concerns, especially this year’s
opening of classes in all colleges and universities which they
described as “uneventful”.
A school official who asked not to be named said
Neri “should have given utmost attention to the opening of
classes” where about 2.8 million college students trooped back to
their schools.
Heading for the SSS
Sources said that Neri’s appointment to the
SSS is expected to catapult Dr. Nona Ricafort to the higher
education body’s top post.
Also, Ricafort indicated that she ready to
assume the post should she be appointed, adding that it is no secret
to commission officials and employees that she is eyeing the
chairmanship.
Sources said that the latest Cabinet meeting saw
Ricafort becoming “very visible” despite Neri’s presence,
which they see is an indication that she is set to become the next
chairman of the higher education body.
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