CHED head favored family-owned school in East Timor scholarships?

MANILA, Philippines - A graft complaint has been filed against Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Emmanuel Angeles for allegedly favoring a university in Angeles City, Pampanga owned by his family for a scholarship program funded by the Democratic Republic of East Timor for its nationals here.

In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by a “concerned citizen” last Aug. 10, Angeles was accused of giving the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) undue benefits, giving it a big share of the East Timor scholarship program this current academic year.

Assigning the bulk of Timorese student-scholars – 36 out of a total 109 – to enroll at AUF instead of other colleges and universities “smacks of deep personal interest and undue advantage, in blatant violation of our laws,” the complaint stated.

“Without any iota of doubt, CHED Chairman Angeles has gravely taken advantage of his official position in bestowing and granting undue advantage to a private entity; worse, the beneficiary is no less than his family’s University Foundation,” it added.

The law, according to the complaint, bars Angeles’ family to take part in the program because he heads CHED.

In a phone interview with The STAR, Angeles said the Ombudsman informed him that there was no graft complaint filed against him when he inquired about it with the anti-graft office.

“I have not received any case,” he said.

Angeles, however, confirmed that 36 East Timor scholars are currently enrolled at the AUF.

He said the enrolment of the 36 scholars at the AUF was a decision made by the scholars and the East Timor government.

He said the AUF was supposed to get only 20 scholars but more were added when some scholars who were supposed to be enrolled at the Tarlac State University moved to the AUF.

“They are the ones who choose where they want to study,” he said.

The Philippine government, through CHED, and East Timor entered into an agreement on Aug. 12, 2008 wherein qualified East Timor students could take formal courses in any accredited college or university in the country.

Angeles assumed the CHED post in August 2008.

Last June, 109 East Timor students enrolled in various Philippine universities, including Adamson University, Mapua Institute of Technology, and Centro Escolar University.

The East Timor government pays $22,000 per scholar, covering tuition and board and lodging for four years.

CHED sources told The STAR that the agency earlier had decided to send East Timor scholars to universities in Central Luzon where tuition rates are lower than in Metro Manila.