BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Four personnel of the Negros Occidental provincial government’s Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) were dismissed from the service for binge drinking while on official travel in Victorias City last year.
The four were engineers German Abihay, Ramelo Letran and Rezin Palacios, and project development assistant Maria Luisa Abano.
Provincial legal officer (PLO) Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. said three already received their dismissal orders, while the fourth who is currently suspended due to a separate administrative complaint, will receive his order soon.
The dismissal order took effect on Jan. 3, 2023 and was signed by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Nellas said the four can still appeal their dismissal order through the Civil Service Commission (CSC), although since the order was “final and executor” they will no longer be allowed to work in the provincial government.
The four were also be penalized with the forfeiture of their retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility and perpetual disqualification from holding public office. They were also barred from taking Civil Service examinations.
Nellas said the fifth individual, engineer Jimbo Garsula, elected for formal investigation and hearing which is still ongoing.
Previously, all five were slapped with a 60-day preventive suspension following their alleged binge drinking during an official travel to Victorias City in July last year.
According to the complaint filed by a provincial government driver, the five went to Victorias City Hall on “official travel.”
However, by 8 p.m. on the said date, the driver claimed that the five failed to show up for the return trip to Bacolod City and it was later discovered that they were in a restaurant drinking.
One of the involved OPA employees allegedly threw expletives against the driver after he told them they needed to return to Bacolod City.
After being slapped with show cause orders, one of the OPA employees replied stating it was “an insult to refuse the hospitality of the counterpart of an agriculturist of Victorias.”
According to Nellas, the incident should serve as a warning to all employees of the provincial government not to be abusive, pointing out that the governor and provincial administrator do not come short when it comes to giving them their bonuses and additional benefits.
“That should also correspond nga dapat maayo man ang serbisyo ta eh kag ang obra ta,” the PLO added./PN
