BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City — Will Mayor Mariano Malones of Maasin, Iloilo be dismissed from the service for illegally terminating the town’s assistant human resource management officer?
Judgment day is on August 26.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan already finished hearing Malones’ administrative case that Elsa Maternal lodged.
“We will decide next week either to dismiss, suspend or acquit Mayor Malones,” said Provincial Board member June Mondejar on radio/television program “Reklamo Publiko” of Panay News on DyOK Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo yesterday.
A “just and fair decision” will be rendered, Mondejar said.
Under the Local Government Code, the Provincial Board has the power to recommend the suspension or dismissal of a certain local government official.
But the approval of the recommendation would depend on the governor or the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Maternal first filed complaints against Malones before the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in 2002 for dismissing her without valid reasons.
CSC cited Malones for indirect contempt for the reason that he, together with certain municipal officials, reorganized and abolished Maternal’s position while the case was being heard.
Later, the CSC handed down a decision favoring Maternal and ordered Malones to reinstate her.
Maternal claimed the municipal government had to pay her P6 million.
Seeking further justice, Maternal brought the matter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. She filed an administrative cases against Malones.
Vice Gov. Raul Tupas assured both parties that whatever the decision may be, it would be fair.
“There will be no biases here. Still, the DILG or the governor has the final decision,” Tupas said./PN
