Pangasinan university president defends self vs accusations

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — "If I’m guilty of something, I will be man enough to face it because the presidency is not the end-all of my life."

Thus said Dr. Rodolfo Asanion, president of the Pangasinan State University (PSU) who was the subject of Wednesday’s rally by about 2,000 protesting students, teachers and non-teaching personnel of the university, in Lingayen town.

In a press conference in a hotel here yesterday, Asanion, who was accused by the rallyists of graft and corruption and immorality, said, "Napakalungkot naman niyan (That’s saddening). They kept on lambasting me."

"If their motive is noble and of the purest intent, why did they have to commit these acts by not going directly to the proper forum?" he said.

"I like myself to be honestly cleared up. I have my documents from A to Z to prove them wrong," he added.

Asanion said he has answered his accusers by filing a sworn affidavit to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ahead of the deadline given him which was today.

"They destroyed me, they destroyed my family, they destroyed the family of other people. They put the university in a bad light and only to say sorry if they cannot fish out anything. Where’s justice in this?" he said.

"Their only purpose is to oust me as president, no matter what. Di na issues ang pinag-uusapan siguro (Issues seem not to be discussed anymore)," he said.

Asked what sanctions could be imposed on the protesting faculty members and non-teaching personnel, he said due process would be observed in probing if they violated civil service rules since they held the prayer rally from 8 a.m. till noon last Wednesday.