Ombudsman orders mayor: Terminate 6 employees

THE Office of the Ombudsman–Visayas, through Acting Director Carla Juris Narvios-Tanco, ordered Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia to enforce the dismissal from service of six employees of the City Government.

These employees are Ricardo Dahil Dahil, OIC-Management and Audit Service Office; Salvacion Ortega, Crafts and Trade helper; Eduardo Ravena, accountant IV; Lalaine Villalva, clerk II, Office of the City Treasurer; Renato Rojo, former executive assistant of the mayor during the term of former mayor Luzviminda Valdez; and Pioquito Quinones, former city accountant (deceased).

The order issued by the Ombudsman, in a letter dated June 11, was relative to findings of the probe conducted by the Commission on Audit Regional Office against Quinones and other employees who faced administrative disciplinary cases.

The administrative disciplinary cases stemmed from the alleged tampering of receipts during the time of Valdez.

The Ombudsman reminded Leonardia of Section 26, par (4) of Republic Act 6770 or the Ombudsman Act of 1989 that states "Any delay or refusal to comply with the referral or directive of the Ombudsman or any of his Deputies shall constitute a ground for administrative disciplinary action against the officer or employee to whom it was addressed."

City legal officer Joselito Bayatan said some of the respondents filed a motion for reconsideration. However, the Ombudsman directed the enforcement of the said order.