PINAPURIHAN ni Surigao del Norte 2nd Dist. Congressman Robert Ace Barbers ang Office of the Ombudsman matapos itong maglabas ng desisyon kamakailan na nagtatanggal kay Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Jo Mark Libre dahil sa kasong grave misconduct.

Sinabi ni Barbers, chairman ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, na inihain ang reklamo laban kay Libre bago pa man siya naluklok bilang Commissioner ng CHED. Habang nabigo naman aniya ang screening group ng Malakanayang na suriing mabuti sa kasong kinakaharap ni Libre.

“The charges have been filed way before Libre was appointed Commissioner. The screening group clearly failed in the vetting process. In this light, I appeal to the current screening group not to make the mistake embarrassing the President by recommending appointments of people facing serious charges,” ayon kay Barbers.

Binigyang diin pa ni Barbers na hindi dapat bigyan ng assignments bilang Chairperson ng Board ng iba’t-ibang State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) ang mga appointed Commissioners ng CHED na may kinakaharap na kaso o mayroong nakabinbing reklamo laban sa kanila kabilang na ang graft cases.

“As to CHED officials, appointed Commissioners with pending serious charges should not be given assignments as Chairs of the various SUC Boards. If they have no delicadeza to resign. They should not be allowed to wield more power and influence over the SUCs,” dagdag pa ni Barbers.

Hinihiling naman ni Manila 2nd Dist. Congressman Rolando “CRV” M. Valeriano, Chairman ng House Committee on Metro Manila Development, sa screening committee na maging maingat at mabusisi sa pagsusuri sa mga appointed officials at tignan kung mayroon itiong kinakaharap na kaso.

Ipinaliwanag ni Valeriano na magre-reflect o magbu-boomerang umano kay President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. ang pagkakatalaga sa isang opisyal ng pamahalaan na hindi sinuring mabuti ng screening committee sapagkat ang Pangulo ang siyang nag-appoint sa nasabing government official.