Wednesday, May 07, 2008 Perdices defends beleaguered department head
DUMAGUETE City Mayor Agustin Perdices came into the defense of one of his beleaguered department heads.
Perdices said City Social Welfare Officer Marina Mendoza was never involved in any irregularities and anomalies contrary to claims made by an employee identified as Lorna Ceriales.
Mendoza is also facing administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman.
The mayor's defense of Mendoza came several days after Ceriales linked her to several alleged anomalies and irregularities.
Ceriales, who had been in government service for 14 years as a casual employee, tagged Mendoza as responsible for her termination on the eve of Labor Day.
She earlier said that at many occasions she was asked by Mendoza to sign "erroneous data reports" but she refused.
Once at the General Services Office, Ceriales said she was asked to file a written claim saying the materials were all used up.
She said she again refused to sign believing there were some irregularities in the transaction.
According to Ceriales, this was why she was fired without cause. She however admitted that casuals are not permanent.
But Mendoza in response said Ceriales is one employee that is hard to deal.
That is why, she said, no chief of office would accommodate her even if she has been a casual for 14 years. "That is also why the city had to terminate her services," added Mendoza.
Mendoza earlier admitted that she wrote Mayor Perdices asking that Ceriales be returned to her mother unit, which is internal audit office headed by Dodoy Ramirez.
She said her office is already filled up and denied insinuations by Ceriales that she had told other city chiefs not to accommodate the casual employee.
Dumaguete City Legal Officer Neil Ray Lagahit, for his part, said that Ceriales has rights just as the City Government has rights to renew or terminate its casuals with or without cause.
Perdices meanwhile challenged Ceriales to file appropriate charges against all department heads who are allegedly doing irregular practices in their offices. (EBS)
