Tesda chief’s resignation accepted

President Arroyo accepted yesterday the resignation of former Congressman Dante Liban as director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

"Yes, we’re accepting it," she told reporters.

Mrs. Arroyo told a radio interview earlier in the day that Liban was "ready to resign" and that she was waiting for his resignation.

Upon hearing the President’s announcement on radio, Liban immediately went to the office of the Executive Secretary at Malacañang to submit his letter of resignation. He, however, refused to talk to reporters.

Mrs. Arroyo did not say who will replace Liban as Tesda chief. "I have a short list. I will announce it soon."

Liban’s resignation came a few weeks after Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas recommended to the President his removal following graft accusations hurled against him by Filipino entertainers and even Tesda employees.

However, Liban’s resignation made it unnecessary to dismiss him, Mrs. Arroyo said, adding that it would up to authorities to decide on the criminal charges filed against him.

Tesda is an attached government agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) which is in charge of screening overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) applying for jobs as singers, dancers and other entertainment-related jobs abroad.

Those who qualify, after undergoing actual tests by TESDA, are issued artist record books (ARB), which they use to obtain work permits abroad, specially in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Liban was accused by local entertainment recruiters of, among other charges, allegedly issuing illegal ARBs to those who failed the TESDA pre-qualification tests for fees ranging from P25,000 to P30,000. The ARB costs only P300.

Liban earlier countered these allegation saying that the sale of ARBs began before his time and this illegal practice is precisely the one he has been fighting since he became TESDA chief.

Acting on complaints against Liban, Sto. Tomas created a special investigating body at the DOLE to look into these graft charges. The body found the TESDA chief guilty of the accusations and recommended sanctions against him.

Sto. Tomas elevated the case to the Office of the President which, in turn, referred it to the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) since the TESDA chief is a presidential appointee.

Earlier, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that Mrs. Arroyo will wait for the evaluation of the PAGC, headed by chairman Dario Rama, before acting on Liban’s case.

Bunye disclosed that Sto. Tomas recommended disciplinary action against the outgoing TESDA chief.

However, Filipino workers are also clamoring for the ouster of Sto. Tomas due to her "alleged incompetence, involvement in allegations of graft and corruption cases, inaction on the plight of overseas Filipino workers, including overseas performing artists".

Philippine Overseas Entertainment Industry (POEI) Foundation president Willie Espiritu said that with Liban’s resignation, "Sto. Tomas should follow suit and do what her subordinate has done," he said.

Sto. Tomas, however, is unfazed by the clamor even as Filipino domestic helpers are restive over DOLE’s reported inaction on the HK$400 monthly wage cut imposed by the Hong Kong government and the controversy surrounding the unified contract agreement implemented last week by the Saudi Arabian government to the detriment of Filipino workers.