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MANILA - Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Patricia Licuanan on Thursday said she is not stepping down from her post due to health issues.

Iligan City Representative Frederick Siao said Licuanan should make an honorable exit if her vertigo, which he said can "be precursors to accidents," makes her unable to run the CHED well in the months ahead.

Licuanan, who wants to be remembered as an "efficient" CHED chairperson, said she is in good health.

"Whatever vertigo I have occasionally is definitely under control," she told ANC's Headstart.

"I hope I will not be forced to resign, that things will be so unbearable that I will have to resign…My vertigo is definitely under control, I have good health. I have no reason to resign for health reasons."

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Licuanan said it may have been dismissed CHED Executive Director Julio Vitriolo who may have encouraged legislators "to look into me and continue the campaign to get me out."

The Office of the Ombudsman last year ordered the dismissal of Vitriolo after he was found guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty, but Licuanan said he continues to be in the office physically.

Licuanan, who was appointed by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2010, also told her critics to let her finish her term.

"My term is over on July 20th 2018. I’m doing my job, just let me finish it. It’s just 6 months. Why can’t people wait?," she said.

During the interview, Licuanan also defended her foreign travels, saying she sought the President's approval for all her trips, including personal ones.

Licuanan said her trips were "hardly excessive," having only left the country for official functions 8 times in 2017, and only 5 of these trips were paid for by the government. She added, she only traveled 5 times in 2016, 6 times in 2015, twice in 2014, and thrice in 2013.

"That’s hardly excessive and all of these things had to do with very specific commitments and it is because of these travels that we are able to have joint programs with institutions abroad, we’re able to send scholars from the Philippines to receive countries and receive also from other countries," she said.

Licuanan also explained that traveling business class has been allowed for heads of agencies for "long haul trips" and she had occasionally invoked her vertigo.

President Rodrigo Duterte has sacked several government officials for supposedly taking unnecessary junkets, among them former Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chief Terry Ridon.

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Malacañang last week also released a memorandum outlining rules for foreign travels of officials and personnel under the executive branch.

• Palace issues memo on foreign travels for officials in executive branch