BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson defended his transfer of Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) chief Ma. Lina Sanogal to the Office of the Governor. He said this was made so that special concerns could be better attended.
The transfer, he added, was also legal and did not violate the current election ban on the transfer of employees.
Sanogal had filed a complaint to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against the governor and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz. She claimed her transfer was a violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
Lacson said they have yet to receive any letter from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and/or Comelec regarding Sanogal’s complaint.
According to Lacson, on Nov. 15, 2021 Sanogal wrote a letter to Diaz informing him of the retirement from government service effective early 2022 of some personnel under the PPDO, which included herself.
Based on the copy of the letter shown to members of the media, Sanogal stated in the letter that they “respectfully request for 2022 budget allocation equivalent to their respective Terminal Leave Benefits.”
Lacson pointed out since Diaz and Sanogal had a lengthy talk since she is retiring in 2022, then maybe they could start the transition already this early.
“I was told by Atty. Diaz the talk lasted for three hours. So in short the move that the province did was reassign Sanogal under the Office of the Governor,” Lacson said.
The governor also revealed that on March 15, they wrote a letter to Comelec – Western Visayas director Wilfredo Jay Balisado requesting for the grant of continuing authority to the provincial
government of Negros Occidental to transfer its officers or employees during the banning period in compliance with Section 29 of Comelec Resolution No. 10742.
Balisado granted the governor’s request with the Comelec regional director stating in his reply dated April 21, “As you represented, said request is essential to the proper functioning of the office and shall not in any manner influence the conduct of the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections; that the request shall not involve promotion or the giving of any increase in salary or remuneration or privilege during the prohibitive period before the May 9, 2022 Elections which is strictly prohibited without any exception whatsoever; and that this authorization shall be prospective in application and without prejudice to the applicable Civil Service Law, rules and regulations on personnel actions/ movements. In view of the foregoing, this Office hereby grants exemption from the prohibition on the transfer and movement of personnel with regard to the transfer above-mentioned in relation to the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections.”
The reply further stated, “It is understood that such request was made by reason of the foregoing alone and was not made to influence the conduct of the forthcoming elections.”/PN
