Central Mindanao University president in hot water

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines - The head of a state university in Bukidnon is under fire over allegations from his own colleagues that he has long overstayed his tenure. Faculty officials of the Central Mindanao University (CMU) have demanded an investigation into the legality of Dr. Mardonio Lao's third term in office as CMU president. Dr. Lao brushed aside the complaint, saying the university's Board of Regents would have never allowed him to serve for three consecutive terms if his extension into the post was illegal. But under the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, presidents of state universities are only allowed a single term of four years, officials of the Central Mindanao University Faculty Association Inc. (CMUFAI) pointed out to reporters. The law allows "reappointment by the Board of Regents" but only for another single term, stressed CMUFAI vice president Amelia Bojo, who was accompanied by two other faculty officials in a press conference in Cagayan de Oro over the weekend. Lao was first appointed to his current post on July 29, 1999. The university's Board of Regents gave him a second term when it expired in 2003. In both instances, the Board of Regents-through its own evaluation committee-found the CMU president's performance "outstanding." When his term as president was about to expire on February 8, Lao sought and was granted another "term" by the board - this time citing pending concerns that may be left behind in a hiatus. The board specifically cited the "land issue," which puts the university at loggerheads with hundreds of families settling within its sprawling campus. Lao also cited technicalities in the board's decision to extend his "term", saying it actually was "an extension of service" and not on the four-year term specified by the law. Seeking to boost his case, he even cited the case of former AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon as legal precedence. Esperon, he said, was about to retire but President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo extended his term for four days. - Sun.Star