Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Committee wants CH worker fired for sexual harassment
A SPECIAL committee formed to look into a sexual harassment complaint recommended the dismissal of a Talisay City Hall employee and a six-month suspension of his co-worker.
The 11-member Committee on Decoraum and Investigation (Codi) wound up its inquiry last week.
The fate of Alberto dela Cuesta and Lorte Cabrera is now in the hands of Mayor Socrates Fernandez, said City Councilor Edward Alesna.
Dela Cuesta and Cabrera, both regular City Hall employees assigned to maintain parks and plazas, were placed under a one-month preventive suspension last February.
Alesna, City Council committee on laws chairman, said that as Codi chairman, Fernandez has the discretion to concur with the recommendations or disapprove or modify them.
The suggested punishments would take effect once Fernandez approves the Codi’s findings.
The Codi investigated dela Cuesta and Cabrera for alleged violation of Republic Act 7877, or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995.
The investigation was spurred by a sexual harassment complaint of a married street sweeper, who is reportedly a subordinate of dela Cuesta.
The complainant, a mother of two children, accused dela Cuesta of sexually abusing her inside his office at the Talisay City Gymnasium in Barangay Poblacion.
She alleged that her ordeal at the hands of dela Cuesta lasted for almost a year.
The abuse became public after she finally came forward and had the incident recorded in the police blotter late last year.
The story first came out in Sun.Star Superbalita, where it was detailed that the victim was allegedly forced to perform oral sex in exchange for the approval of her daily time record.
Cabrera was included as an accessory because the committee found out that he was the one who would call up the victim to get inside dela Cuesta’s office.
City Councilor Shirley Belleza, also a Codi member, said the committee members were not unanimous in coming up with the recommendations.
Five supported the recommendations, while four opposed them.
Belleza, city council committee on family, women and children chairperson, said majority of the Codi members were not swayed by dela Cuesta’s justification that he and the complainant had an affair and that what happened had her consent. (GC)
