MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to submit its report on the implementation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)’s K to 12 transition scholarship program after the resignation of chairperson Patricia Licuanan. 

In letter dated January 16, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez requested COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo for “all findings from 2016 to 2017 to be submitted to this office for our immediate perusal.”

“With the resignation of the chairperson of CHED, Congress must ascertain the implementation of the P5.275 billion budget allocated for the program,” Alvarez said in his letter.

Licuanan resigned from her post on January 15, citing a phone call from Malacañang. 

Prior to this, PBA Representative Jericho Nograles had exposed alleged irregularities in CHED, including Licuanan’s supposed “abuse” of foreign travel privileges and delays in scholars’ benefits. 

Licuanan denied these allegations. 

Nograles had earlier said that scholars were complaining over delays in the release of funds allocated to them, which Licuanan had attributed to logistical issues. He wants the House to hold a probe into these alleged irregularities inside CHED. – Rappler.com