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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Eight city hall employees have been served with a dismissal order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman.
They were among the 10 workers, including Mayor Evelio Leonardia, found guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
Carmelo Orbista, officer-in-charge of the local Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) office, served the order yesterday to the representatives of the following at the Office of the City Mayor:
* Goldwyn Nifras (secretary to the mayor)
* Nelson Sedillo Sr. (head, Department of Public Services)
* Belly Aguillon (city engineer)
* Eduardo Ravena (city accountant)
* Aladino Agbones (city engineer)
* Jaries Ebenizer Encabo (city engineer)
* Melvin Recabar (head, Bids and Awards Committee secretariat)
The order for Luzviminda Treyes has been emailed to her, said Orbista.
The abovementioned officials were on leave. It was not immediately known until when.
They composed the Bids and Awards Committee when city hall made the questionable P50-million purchase of furniture and fixtures in 2008.
DILG Region 6 director Anthony Nuyda, concurrent officer-in-charge of the Negros Island Region office, received on Feb. 6 a memo from Undersecretary Austere Panadero green-lighting the serving of the order.
Annabelle Badajos (city treasurer) was also suspended. The Department of Finance will be the one to serve the order on her, Panadero said.
Leonardia was able to secure a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals in January. The others sought similar legal remedies, but the Ombudsman and the appellate court have yet to act on them.
The Ombudsman also found probable cause to charge them with violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act “arising from culpable violation of (the Government Procurement Reform Act) and its implementing rules and regulations to the damage and prejudice of the taxpayers and the city government of Bacolod and to the benefit of Comfac Corp., contractor of the furniture and fixtures.”
Aside from dismissal, they will be penalized with forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding office, cancellation of civil service eligibility, and prohibition from taking civil service exams./PN
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