Makati school slams CHEd closure order

MANILA, Philippines—A Makati business school has assailed the Commission on Higher Education’s order shutting it down due to poor quality, claiming it was denied due process despite repeated appeals and rejections.

The International Academy of Management and Economics (IAME) this week called for the resignation of CHEd chair Patricia Licuanan for ordering its closure, a decision that has been deliberated since last year.

IAME chair and CEO Emmanuel Santos said CHEd committed “grave error of law and grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction” for ordering the closure of the only three courses offered at the school: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), Master in Business Administration (MBA), and Doctor of Philosophy in Management

CHEd’s order, issued with finality in February while rejecting IAME’s appeal, effectively shut down the entire school.  Malacañang also upheld CHEd’s order in response to Santos’ appeal in March.

Santos said he will appeal to the Supreme Court.

Despite an almost yearlong appeals process before CHEd, Santos claimed the school was denied due process, saying the commission did not re-evaluate the school after IAME implemented recommended changes.

“After IAME corrected and remedied the deficiencies and violations and submitted its complete and absolute compliance to the CHEd findings, CHEd did not make any re-inspection and re-evaluation to determine the school’s performance in providing efficient, quality and relevant educational service,” said Santos in a statement.

Earlier this week, CHEd reiterated that its order was final, citing Malacañang’s response to the separate appeal IAME filed in March.

Santos said Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa should also resign for upholding the closure order, claiming his rejection of the school’s appeal “put President Benigno S. Aquino III to (sic) the brink of an impeachable offense.”

“The CHEd closure order is not final because IAME will appeal to the Supreme Court which has the ultimate power to declare the CHEd order as really final if found not violative of the right to due process of IAME,” said Santos.

Licuanan refused to make any further comment on the matter when contacted on Friday.