Star Powerhouse

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) employees have reportedly filed administrative and ethics complaints against Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, accusing her of abusing her authority and cultivating what they describe as a climate of fear inside the agency.  Central to the employees' concerns is Agrupis' reported insistence that she enjoys a close relationship with First Lady Liza A. Marcos. According to employees, Agrupis has invoked this claimed closeness in a manner that has created the impression that she is politically protected — even untouchable — despite the complaints and mounting criticism surrounding her leadership. Employees stress, however, that the supposed relationship is based on Agrupis' own claims, and questions remain over whether the First Lady herself is even aware that her name is allegedly being invoked in this way. The claim has cast a long shadow over the complaints, fueling worry that the allegations against Agrupis will be quietly sh...