The five employees were identified as: Rufino Bandialan, environment impact assessment division chief; Edgar Rubi, pollution control division chief; Teresita Tagorda, head executive assistant; and Mayet Barquilla and Flor Bongalo.
Rubi is accused of requiring private firms to use government equipment without issuing corresponding receipt. Rubi and his subordinate, Barquilla, allegedly deposited the amount they collected from the private firms to two personal bank accounts.
Bongalo meanwhile made the necessary payment to the contractual employees who performed the sampling using the government equipment.
Rubi is also accused of selling the cyanide confiscated by his office and utilizing the said amount to buy office equipment such as computers and printers.
After which, Rubi allegedly requested the government to refund him for his expenses and deposited the same to his personal account.
Rubi's action allegedly constitutes malversation of public funds.
Rubi and Bandialan are also accused of "packaging" the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) of the pump stations of Petron and collected P20,000 from each station to secure its ECC and permit to operate its wastewater treatment plant.
Tagorda, on the other hand, is accused of utilizing government funds in refueling her private car.
The Ombudsman said if proven to be true, the acts of the government employees constitute grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The two offenses are punishable by dismissal from public service and six months, one day to one year suspension, respectively.
