THE Office of the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of Southern Leyte mayor found guilty of simple misconduct.
Jerry Benedict Rosete, information officer of the Ombudsman, in his media statement dated December 22 said Mayor Napoleon Cuaton of Saint Bernard town was ordered suspended for three months without pay after he was “found guilty of simple misconduct.”
In its Decision, the Ombudsman found that in July 2013, Cuaton deliberately failed to reinstate Administrative Aide I Gerry Mencide as directed by the Civil Service Commission which ruled that he was illegally terminated without cause.
Cuaton instead appointed another individual to occupy Mencide’s position.
“It is clear that respondent Cuaton intentionally disregarded CSC’s order of reinstatement. Instead of implementing the Decision, he issued two unnumbered Office Orders removing complainant from his position,” read the Decision.
Under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, the administrative offense of Simple Misconduct is a less grave offense punishable by suspension of one month and one day to six months for the first offense.
The Ombudsman directed the Regional Office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement the suspension order. (Sunnex)