No need for Tesda chief to go on leave, says De Lima

Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva. tesda.gov.ph photo

MANILA, Philippines — There is no need for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) chief Joel Villanueva to go on leave after his name was dragged in the pork barrel scam by latest government witness former Technology Resource Center (TRC) General Manager Dennis Cunanan, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Monday.

Villanueva, the former representative of party-list group Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) was mentioned in the affidavit of Cunanan which was submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman.

De Lima said all those mentioned by Cunanan in his affidavit were already being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation.

However, “no case has been filed yet vs. Joel Villanueva, hence, no legal compulsion for him to go on leave. NBI [is] still evaluating,” De Lima said.

Villanueva already denied the allegations of Cunanan.

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