CHED's Puno accepts GOCC post

Outgoing Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Carlito Puno announced Monday that he has accepted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's offer to head a government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC). Puno said his departure from CHED does not mean the President was disappointed with his leadership and management abilities, radio station dzMM reported. He claimed that Mrs Arroyo was even delighted with the agency's accomplishments under his term. Puno was quoted last month as saying, however, that he should have been informed by the Palace that he was sacked instead of learning about it through media reports. Former economic planner Romulo Neri is set to assume chairmanship of the CHED in August 15, said Puno. Puno also asked members of the media not to divulge yet the agency which he will soon chair, saying only it is "Makati-based." President Arroyo on Friday expressed her desire to have Puno, brother of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, steer the United Coconut Chemicals Inc., a GOCC. Mrs Arroyo said that, "I am thanking him (Puno) for the good work that he has done in the past years at the CHED." "I hope he will accept [the job]," she added. The President said the former CHED chair was well suited for Coco Chem, given what she said was his background in the pharmaceutical industry. - GMANews.TV