NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. ordered the 60-day preventive suspension of Provincial Agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan while he is being investigated for alleged administrative offenses of grave misconduct and malversation of public funds.
Marañon, in the memorandum order dated March 21, said there was “prima facie” on the administrative offenses committed by Tabianan after “careful evaluation of the allegations and evidence available and presented.”
The order said that administrative charges of grave misconduct/malversation of public funds warrant a preventive suspension as Tabianan exercises authority over the witnesses and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), where other evidence, testimonial or documentary are available.
“It is therefore imperative that the witnesses, other testimonial and documentary evidence as well the proceeding itself be protected from whatever form of influence from the respondent to give due course to a fair and impartial investigation and hearing,” the order said.
Also, the governor ordered the provincial agriculturist to refrain from entering the premises of the Provincial Capitol and any of its offices during the duration of the suspension or from doing such acts that will influence the witnesses and the proceeding.
“To reiterate, this is to give due course to a fair and impartial investigation and hearing of your administrative case,” the order stated.
Tabianan’s allegedly committed the following violations: allowed Ariel Tuvilla, his close subordinate at OPA, to take half of the salary of job order employee Kenneth Abaring for the months of February to May in 2016; incomplete payment of his wages for the months of July to November last year; induced him to admit the signature in the payment voucher although the signature is not him; induced him not to complain with the Accounting Office or any office of the province regarding the claim of his salary by other person without his consent; has given task to another job order employee Rodney Batarilan to organize in 2015 the United Towards Organic Development party-list, which has nothing to do with his functions as job order employee of the OPA; allowed Tuvilla to deduct from the salary of Batarilan for the months of July to September 2015 the amount of P10,000.
Tabianan was given three days to submit a reply.
In November last year, Tabianan received two notices of disallowance from the Commission on Audit (COA).
These were the P299,000 amount spent for the fertilizer project in 2013 and the various vegetable seeds program worth P239,805.80 in 2014.
Tabianan had already settled the first disallowed amount.
Moreover, Acting Provincial Administrator Leo Eusebio said that Tuvilla was also suspended by the governor.
On Wednesday, Economic Enterprise Development Department head Japhet Masculino replaced Tabianan on a concurrent capacity.
Meanwhile, Eusebio will be replaced by Lucille Gelvolea, who was also the officer-in-charge of Investments and Promotions Center, starting April 1.
Eusebio, who served the position for two years, will head the Hospital Operations Department. His appointment was approved by the Provincial Board Wednesday.