Tuesday, August 03, 2004 It's final, Ombudsman says on principal's dismissal By Avelyn Z. Agudon
THE Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas denied the motion for reconsideration of the principal of Ramon Torres National High School (Main) who was dismissed for grave misconduct.
Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Primo Miro denied the motion for reconsideration of Principal IV Heidi Estandarte, earlier found guilty of grave misconduct, which she filed a few days after she was ordered dismissed last March 9.
Miro also ordered that Estandarte be disqualified to hold public office, and the forfeiture of all her benefits and cancellation of Civil Service eligibilities.
The Ombudsman-Visayas' latest ruling also ordered the Department of Education to implement Estandarte's dismissal within 10 days.
Estandarte refused to be interviewed by Sun.Star Bacolod on Monday.
The complaint against Estandarte consisted of 23 allegations of improprieties ranging from illegal handling of school funds, irregular financial transactions, perjury and abuse of authority, which was referred to then Dir. Pilar Pascual of the Department of Education and Dir. Santos Alquizalas of the Commission on Audit.
The filing of the complaint was spearheaded by then Faculty president Fortunato Filomeno who, during the hearing of the case, was transferred to RTNHS extension school in Barangay Taloc in Bago.
Filomeno is currently the principal of RTNHS-Taloc Extension.
Of the 23 allegations, the Office of the Ombudsman gave weight on six complaints which include the imposition of the miscellaneous fee of P10 upon enrollment which is a violation of the DECS Order 27; selling and disbursement of income from sale of old newspapers; securing donation in cash and in kind which are not acknowledged through the issuance of an official receipt and disbursing of the amount personally; double charging for the repair of the Home Economics' building in 1995; double charging for the video coverage during the coronation night in February 1995; and charging P35 per student for diploma from the MOEA funds.
Estandarte denied the allegations against her but the graft investigators believed the respondent should be held liable for grave misconduct.
Quijano said Estandarte's failure to issue a receipt for the donation received (by the school) is violative of sections 63, 68 and 112 of Presidential Decree 1445; the appropriation for personal use of proceeds from the sale of the old newspapers as well as the P14,000 counterpart contribution of the students for the diploma constituted grave misconduct in office.
Grave misconduct is "wrongful act of public servant which is contrary to law, order, public policy, rule and regulation, committed while in office which is injurious to the image of the public service or the rights of another person."
The act of submitting receipts purportedly to show that items she claimed were purchased when such receipts do not substitute such assertion, suggested a disposition on the part of respondent Estandarte to misrepresent, thus, constituting dishonest conduct.
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