Saturday, May 10, 2008 Vice mayor hits city's committee probing agri office By Edmund B. Sestoso
DUMAGUETE City Vice Mayor Woodrow Maquiling criticized the investigating committee of the executive department handling the probe in the anomalies and irregularities at the City Agriculturist Office.
He said what is alarming was that the whistleblower on the alleged anomalies was given a stiffer penalty -- removal from government service.
Maquiling was the first who raised the alleged irregularities at the agriculturist office by using credible information from a witness, who was identified as Melito Cataylo.
However, the City Hall investigative committee headed by Personnel Officer Ruperto Tenorio recommended Cataylo for outright removal from his work.
The same Committee has earlier recommended to Mayor Agustin Perdices in its report that two employees should be fired from service and two others for suspension.
Aside from Cataylo, David Chiu was also recommended for removal, while the present agriculturist office head Alfredo Santos is recommended for six months suspension without pay and Vicente Almayda for a one-month suspension.
Leopoldo Geconciloo, the other employee recommended for suspension, was found innocent of the charges raised against him.
The investigative committee that conducted the probe is composed of Councilors Espiridion Catan, Nilo Sayson, Franklin Esmena, Alan Cordova, Engineer Josephine Antonio, City Planning Officer, and lawyer Samsodin Tahir, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Negros Oriental Chapter.
Perdices created the investigating body after Maquiling made the expose.
"I was shock and very sad that one of my whistleblowers and witnesses was recommended for dismissal from government service" stressed Maquiling in his privilege speech.
The vice mayor feared that with the inclusion of one of his whistleblowers in the recommendation for dismissal, other employees at the local government will be discouraged to come out in the open and expose alleged anomalies and irregularities.
"Inay unta pasalamatan, hatagan ug pagdasig ang mga kawani nga magpakatakus sa pagbulgar sa mga anomalya sa gobiyerno, mao na man hinuon ang silutan" stressed the vice mayor in the same privilege speech.
The vice mayor added: "The findings of the committee is not only unfair, it is not only unjust on the part of the whistleblower, but it could also be a question of constitutionality."
Maquiling said Cataylo was also not afforded the due process in the course of the investigation.
He said he could not understand why Cataylo who served as a witness to the anomalies was treated as the criminal and interrogated by the investigative committee members.
Cataylo informed him that he will seek a reconsideration of the investigation done by City Hall and if possible to reach the office of the mayor.
