Retired BSU professor tells side on refund issue

Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The retired professor and a former member of the board of regents of the State-run Benguet State University here has urged BSU officials to withdraw the latter’s final demand letter asking her to return P1 million in incurred expenses during her study leave, saying she completed academic requirements of her degree on Doctor of Public Administration and was cleared by the school prior to her retirement.

Prof. Gloria Ramos Lee said there was no failure on her part to comply with any of the conditions of the study leave agreement through her fault or wilful neglect, resignation or other causes within her control.

She said she finished all academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Public Administration and hurdled the tough doctoral comprehensive examination at the University of the Philippines where she took the course.

Lee said during her sabbatical leave from November 2009 to November 2010, she did research at Smithsonian Library in Washington and when she returned to the country, she continued her research work in the Cordillera.

According to her, the title of her research was “Brief History of BSU during the American Period” and that her research will form part of BSU’s history for its centennial celebration in 2016.

In 2013, Lee was also given “lifetime award” for serving the institution for 40 years.

“I served BSU for 40 years, until my mandatory retirement in November 2012. I have been a part of its growth and development, as can be attested by the past administrators. I authored polices in my 4-year stint as a member of the Board of Regents benefitting BSU as well as its students and personnel,” Lee said.

She said “BSU is an academe and it must be a bastion of honesty and integrity, thus, it is a challenge to the academe that they must provide relevant direction in BSU governance and to ensure an enjoyment of academic freedom.”

“I left the service with much respect and dignity knowing that I have served the school well. However, I and the other brave souls, who concern for BSU will continue the fight to uphold its mandate for 98 years and beyond. For it has been a truism that evil reigns in this world if good people, who had been given a chance to do good to speak out if they have not done so,” Lee said.

In Oct. 2012, Prof. Lee filed an application for early retirement, which was approved by Dr. Ben Ladilad, incumbent BSU president and issued a clearance, signed by all concerned officers and bearing the signatures of lawyer Mathias Angiwan, Jr., chief administrative officer and Dr.Percyveranda A. Lubrica, Vice President for Academic Affairs, both of whom recommended approval of her clearance.

Lawyer Reynaldo U. Agranzamendez, Lee’s legal counsel, stated in his response to Ladilad that “Prof. Lee takes exemption to the statement in your letter that she has an outstanding monetary obligation in the amount of P1,047,197.32 and that the only amount she owes is P42,275.05 as shown in the certification of the Commission on Audit on her disallowances not related to the study grant.”

Agranzamendez said Lee was ready and willing to pay her disallowances which were uncovered but are not related to the demand letter relative to her study grant.

Lee said she understood the reason why she was singled out in the issue considering she had been a staunch advocate for good governance and had been fighting alleged rampant graft and corruption in the institution.