Sunday, May 18, 2008 Airport official ordered to answer ombud raps
THE Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has ordered an airport official to answer charges that he falsified school records to qualify for a government post.
“Failure to comply as herein directed within the period prescribed by the rules shall be deemed a waiver of the right to present the party’s counter-affidavit,” said the order to Romeo Bersonda, division manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA).
Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Santiago said the criminal and administrative complaint against him will only get resolved based on the evidence on hand.
Businessman Crisologo Saavedra filed the complaint against Bersonda. He impleaded Jovenal Toring of the Indiana Aerospace University, the school that allegedly granted Bersonda’s school records.
Not qualified
Bersonda is the concurrent chairman of the airport’s bids and awards committee (BAC) and oversees projects that include the P132.9-million airport taxiway asphalt overlaying and painting.
According to Saavedra’s complaint, Bersonda does not possess all the qualifications for the position when he was appointed as airport operations manager.
The qualifications are listed in Republic Act 6958, the law that created the MCIAA.
The businessman said Bersonda held a vocational degree instead of the required college degree at the time of his appointment, and submitted a copy of a 1968 diploma issued by the Feati University Institute of Vocational and Technical Education.
The diploma was for a course on aircraft maintenance engineering.
Bersonda’s other credentials include a certificate of completion for a private pilot ground course, an instrument course and a commercial pilot ground course of the Philippine Aviation Corp.
Impleaded
He submitted documents on his Bachelor of Science degree in aircraft maintenance technology from the IAU in 2003.
Saavedra, however, said the course was actually for aviation technology, according to a certification by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7.
He impleaded Toring in the charge, albeit the latter is not a public official. He attached a photocopy of a 2003 Ched document declaring Bersonda “approved for eligibility for graduation” upon “satisfactory completion of the four-year course leading to/with the degree/title of Bachelor of Science in aviation technology.”
The document bore the name of Canielario Aytona, chief education program specialist.
Saavedra said Bersonda’s claims and Toring’s certification constitute perjury, falsification of public documents, dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the government. (KNR)
