Return of university president in Mindanao bucked

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  --- Various groups seeking the ouster of the president of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in North Cotabato are opposing the official’s planned return to office  again.

The USM president, Jesus Derije, has been out of office for several months now due to the continued presence of picketers at the gates of the university, preventing him from reporting to work. 

The Commission on Higher Education sent Derije abroad for a training after various groups of USM personnel and students started staging mass actions against him, pressing for his ouster due to alleged mismanagement and mishandling of school funds.

Derije also has a pending case at the Ombudsman.

Text messages have spurred speculations that Derije is set to return to his post.

USM’s incumbent officer-in-charge, Teresita Cambel, has reportedly denied having signed a document asking Derije to return to his post.
Derije’s camp has been using the same document to work his way in, according to USM insiders.

Classes at the USM have been disrupted by the protest actions. - John Unson