THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Tueday served the dismissal order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman to the eight current and former executives of Bacolod City.
Carmelo Orbista, officer-in-charge of DILG-Bacolod, said ordered dismissed were lawyer Goldwyn Nifras, former Bids and Awards Committee chairperson, Department of Public Services head Nelson Sedillo Sr., City Engineer Belly Aguillon, City Engineer Aladino Agbones, City Engineer Jaries Ebenizer Encabo, BAC Secretariat head Melvin Recabar, former city budget officer Luzviminda Treyes, and former city accountant Eduardo Ravena.
The DILG-Bacolod received the memorandum order Monday issued by DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, but Orbista got hold of the copy on Tuesday and he implemented it immediately.
Orbista said Nifras, Sedillo, Aguillon, Agbones, Encabo, and Recabar were on leave so the order was received by their respective representatives at the City Mayor’s Office around 9:30 a.m.
He said Treyes is out of the country so they will mail the order to her present address while the dismissal order of former city treasurer Annabelle Badajos will be served by the Department of Finance.
The Office of the Ombudsman had earlier ordered the dismissal from service of Mayor Evelio Leonardia and the nine others after they were found guilty for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty in the procurement of furniture and fixtures for Bacolod Government center amounting to almost P50 million in 2008.
Orbista said the respondents were dismissed from the service, with the corresponding accessory penalties of forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of civil service eligibility, and bar from taking civil service examinations.
The Ombudsman order stated that in the event that any of the respondents shall have separated from public service, he or she shall pay a fine equivalent to one year salary payable to his office or deductible from any amount, except the amount of accrued leave credits receivable from his or her office.
Then city legal officer Allan Zamora, who passed away during the pendency of the cases, and lawyer Gliceria Caduhada, who could not be served with a copy of the order to file counter-affidavit, are not included in the determination of liabilities of the respondents in the Ombudsman’s joint resolution.
Last month, the Court of Appeals Visayas Station 18th Division in Cebu City granted a 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) to Leonardia.
Leonardia’s co-accused also filed separate petitions for the issuance of a TRO.
He said Leonardia will appoint executives to occupy the posts of the dismissed employees.