Educator versus educator for justice continues

By LITO RULONA, Correspondent

This is one for the books — an educator has filed several administrative and criminal cases against another educator.

Mandaue City College (MCC) president Dr. Paulus Mariae L. Cañete is suing Commission on Higher Education (CHED 10) regional director Dr. Zenaida G. Gersana for libel. Cañete filed the formal complaint against Gersana on July 16 before the City Prosecutor’s Office (CPO).

Cañete said she is suing Gersana for issuing a “libelous” notice which was distributed to schools and colleges in Northern Mindanao, Caraga Region, and several provinces in Cebu.

“It all started when a school admnistrator in-form(ed) us (about a) notice to the public issued by Gersana and found out that the notice contains libelous statements. She also (wrote) on the last part of the notice (a warning which) says caveat emptor or let the buyer beware,” he said.

In a copy of the notice that Cañete showed Gold Star Daily, Gersana stated that the “public is hereby advised that any transaction in Region 10 by Mandaue City College – under the administration of Dr. Paulus Cañete – to offer any academic degree is considered illegal and will not be recognized by the Commission on Higher Education, consequently its graduates from board programs shall not be allowed to take any licensure examination.”

The CHED 10-issued notice declared that under Section 8 (e) of the Higher Education Act of 1994 (RA 7722), CHED has the power to impose sanctions and terminate programs and/or school closure of higher education programs. She also cited Section 28 of the Education Act of 1992 that they can declare schools and education programs as illegal if it did not have authorization from their office.

“Caveat emptor or let the buyer beware is only applicable to business offices. Mura ba ga-distribute kita og mga pirated items. MCC is created under municipal ordinance #10-2005-324A which means our operation relies on funding from the government. Buot ipasabot nga nagdagan kini siya under government transactions,” Cañete said.

Cañete claimed Gersa-na is questioning their school’s “distance learning” program.

“In the first place, we are not under her jurisdiction because Gersana is with CHED-10 and the MCC is with the Region 7 in Visayas. Ang iya untang gibuhat nga mo-coordinate siya sa Region-7 and the region itself would issue memorandum against the school program,” he poin-ted out.

“Pagpanghatag ni Gersa-na og Notice to the Public, our second batch of students were affected,” he said.

Gersana is also facing other cases before the Office of the Ombudsman-Cagayan de Oro Office for abuse of authority and the Civil Service Commission (CSC 10) for abuse of authority and conduct unbecoming a public official.