Sunday, July 13, 2008 Saavedra wants airport head out
THE Office of the Deputy Ombudsman-Visayas has been urged to place operations manager Romeo Bersonda of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) under preventive suspension.
This is to avoid the possibility of Bersonda pressuring any witnesses against him or tampering with documentary evidence.
Bersonda, together with Jovenal Toring of Indiana Aerospace University (IAU), were criminally charged with the graft office by businessman Crisologo Saavedra for falsifying his (Bersonda’s) school records so he could be promoted.
Saavedra said Bersonda does not have the qualifications for the position when he was appointed as MCIAA operations manager. The qualifications are listed under Republic Act 6958 (MCIAA Charter).
Bersonda submitted a diploma in Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Maintenance Technology from Indiana Aerospace University (IAU) in 2003.
Leave credit
But Saavedra said Bersonda, while pursuing his college education with IAU from 1999 to 2003 and finished the course, did not file a leave of absence from MCIAA as reflected in his leave credit index.
Saavedra said that as shown in his IAU transcript of records per semester, Bersonda carried a full load of 25-25 units including his summer class of nine units.
He said the subjects offered on his course were all scheduled at day time as certified by IAU. With no leave of absence filed in MCIAA, it can be concluded that Bersonda used government time while attending classes.
Bersonda has not provided him copies of his counter-affidavit, Saavedra said.
In justifying their motion to place Bersonda under preventive suspension, Saavedra said Toring’s manifestation dated June 2, 2008 clearly showed their intention to rectify a typographical error allegedly caused by haste to beat a deadline.
Same reason
It is almost the same reason as his registrar losing school records of Bersonda while in his care and custody.
Saavedra said that while they are trying to correct their counter-affidavit of typographical errors regarding the words “aircraft” and “aviation,” Toring had already made a request to the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) through his registrar dated March 11, 2008.
The request is for a new special order number to correspond to the course of BS Aircraft Maintenance Technology and to cancel a special order issued to Bersonda on April 15, 2003 for the course of BS in Aviation Technology.
Saavedra said this is a deliberate act to preempt the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
Saavedra said Ched’s Chief education program specialist Candelario Aytona said their office cannot make the necessary corrections unless the alleged documents issued earlier be turned over to them. (EOB)
