OVP undersec instructs DepEd officials to resign without due process

Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez confirmed telling former Education Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado and three other DepEd officials to resign after receiving instructions from Vice President Sara Duterte.

During a House of Representatives hearing, Lopez admitted informing Mercado about her need to resign in October 2023 due to concerns over the DepEd's computerization procurement process.

Rep. Gerville Luistro questioned the legality of Lopez’s actions, emphasizing that due process was not followed when asking officials to resign.

Lopez maintained she informed each official of their dismissal but did not provide a copy of any complaint or set up a hearing as required by law.

Luistro revealed that Lopez had instructed five DepEd officials to resign, suggesting this practice may not be an isolated incident.

Mercado claimed she was dismissed after asserting strict adherence to procurement rules and clarified that the issue raised involved an official government program rather than personal solicitation.