City hall employee in buy-bust risks losing job

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BY CAROLYN JANE ABELLO
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ILOILO City – A utility personnel of the city government’s General Services Office arrested in an antidrug operation of the police on Jan. 1 faces suspension or worse, termination from work.

According to City Administrator Hernando Galvez, there will be “administrative proceedings” for 40-year-old Stephen Azarcon, also a resident of Barangay San Isidro, Jaro district.

Azarcon was detained at the Molo police station after selling a sachet of shabu for P500 to an undercover police officer, said Chief Inspector Marlon Valencia, Molo police chief.

“Tan-awon naton kun administratively ma-suspend or ma-terminate naton,” said Mayor Jose Espinosa III yesterday.

He said he was waiting for pertinent documents related to Azarcon’s case such as the police blotter and affidavits of witnesses “that would serve as bases for the steps we would take.”

Certainly, Azarcon would be given the chance to defend himself, said Espinosa, citing civil service rules governing administrative cases.

Azarcon’s predicament could fall under the administrative case of “serious misconduct”, said Galvez.

Without prematurely passing judgment on Azarcon, Espinosa said a punishment of dismissal from service is usually accompanied with accessory penalties such as forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification to hold public office.

The mayor warned all city government employees not to engage in illegal drugs. He said the random drug testing of employees would continue.

Espinosa also encouraged people who may have knowledge of any city hall employee’s illegal drug activities to come out./PN
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