PUP head files contempt petition vs CHEd chair

MANILA, Philippines—Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) outgoing president Dante Guevarra has appealed to the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to hold Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan in contempt for apparently defying a court order keeping him in charge of the state university.

On Friday, Guevarra had filed with the Manila RTC a petition to hold Licuanan, also PUP Board of Regents chairperson, for indirect contempt after the latter appointed former PUP BOR secretary Estelita Wi de la Rosa as new PUP officer-in-charge last September 15.

Guevarra, in his petition, alleged the act was a “head-on defiance” of a writ of preliminary injunction issued last July 25 by Manila RTC Branch 26 judge Silvino Pampilo, in which PUP officials were ordered to maintain the status quo wherein Guevarra continues to act as university president in a holdover capacity.

Guevarra had also asked the court to hold De la Rosa in contempt along with Licuanan.