Friday, July 27, 2007
Ombud suspends DepEd official
THE anti-graft office has ordered the suspension of a Department of Education (DepEd) supervisor who allegedly mauled a subordinate, blaming him for an adverse report lodged before the office of the DepEd regional director.
Jose Cabantan, the Toledo City Schools superintendent, was found guilty of oppression and misconduct and, as per recommendations of Assistant Graft Investigator Christine Muga-Abad, meted the penalty of six month’s suspension.
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Cabantan’s assistant superintendent, Dr. Fernando Po, lodged the complaint that resulted in the suspension.
In Po’s affidavit, Cabantan allegedly mauled him inside the official’s office last Dec. 23, 2004 after taking offense to a complaint Po lodged before the regional office.
The beating only stopped, he said, after fellow employees – led by a certain Jose Uy – came in and brought him out.
He submitted the affidavits of colleagues, including one signed by Ethyl del Castillo, who reportedly saw the actual beating.
He also supposedly submitted a medical report detailing the extent of his injuries and certified how the injuries were grave enough to require 10 days of recuperation time.
Denied
But Cabantan, in his counter-affidavit, denied mauling Po.
Instead, he said, Po, whom he depicted to be a homosexual, supposedly tried to paw him during a formal office conference, forcing him to push the latter away.
Po supposedly fell and hit his face on the table’s edge – hence his injuries.
He also submitted the affidavits of two supporting witnesses.
“This office finds substantial evidence to warrant the imposition of administrative penalty over the respondent.
Complainant’s contention that he was physically attacked by the respondent during a conference in the latter’s office is adequately shown to be true,” the anti-graft office’s findings, however, read.
“As regards the defense of the respondent that he pushed the complainant away to stop him from the sexual aggression, the same is considered as an incredulous version of the incident,” it added. (KNR)
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