Palace to abide by court ruling on CHEd executive director

Malacañang will follow a Court of Appeals ruling that reinstates Julito Vitriolo as executive director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

“The Office of the President and the Commission on Higher Education will, of course, respect and abide by the decision and order of the Court of Appeals,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Abella issued the statement following reports that the agency was in a bind over having two executive directors.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier ordered Vitriolo’s dismissal from office for supposedly failing to stop a diploma mill operation.

The order was enforced, and Karol Mark Yee was named as his replacement.

But Vitriolo challenged the Ombudsman’s ruling before the appellate court, which eventually ruled in his favor and ordered his reinstatement.

The court said his offense did not justify his dismissal.

CHEd chair Patricia Licuanan earlier said the agency had not received any directive from the Office of the President about the matter.