LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The failure of the Search Committee and Board of Regents of the State-run Benguet State University (BSU) to heed the clamor of various sectors to conduct an in-depth background check on the applicants for the next president prompted some quarters to publicly come out with the negative backgrounds of those who were supposedly included in the shortlist that was already given to the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Sources, who requested anonymity for security and personal reasons, claimed that the scheduled election of the next BSU president on March 16, 2016 should be used as an avenue to deliberate on how to further conduct an investigation on the backgrounds of the shortlisted applicants whether or not they have the moral ascendancy and credibility to lead the institution.
The source added the shortlisted applicants have their own negative background casting doubts on their sincerity to serve the interest of the institution, thus, the need for the members of the Board to think a million times before rushing the election of the next president.
“The Board should not deprive the community, faculty and alumni from voting, thus, the vacancies and the question on the individuals to represent the sectors should be first be resolved to ensure that all sectors will be represented during the elections pursuant to the daang matuwid of the Aquino administration.
If the members of the Board are not still aware, the source added one of the applicants has a question of morality because of allegedly having a mistress with two children and was able to also allegedly impregnate a student before.
On the other hand, another applicant has questionable credibility because the same had been involved in questionable transactions of private lands and that the applicant’s name was used in some of the BSU-owned properties that was allegedly subsequently sold to various parties.
At the same time, one applicant also has questionable credibility because of allegedly malversation of funds of a department and a greenhouse project that remains unliquidated. Further, the project of a department became the project of the family of the said applicant and in fact, a separate project within the strawberry property is now being allegedly operated by the applicant’s family in violation of existing rules and regulations of the university.
The source challenged the members of the BSU Board of Regents that stakeholders will continue questioning the outcome of the election once they insist on pursuing the same and that tension within the institution that would compromise the implementation of programs and project geared towards advancing the quality of education.
He said the Board of Regents must set a good example for the young and upcoming leaders to emulate by listening to the clamor of the public instead of railroading the election of the next president which will not be a good example for future leaders to follow considering that the members just succumb to the whims and caprices of those wanting to lord it over the institution just to advance their own personal and political interests that they need to protect and uphold at the expense of the bright future of the present and future generations.
By Dexter A. See
