THE provincial board of Misamis Oriental on Monday, May 20, declared its board secretary Ernesto Sotto Jr. as “persona non grata” for allegedly engaging in electoral matters in the recently concluded midterm polls and for posting statements in social media that hurt the Misamisnons.
Board member Bebing Dumadag on Monday, May 20, sponsored a resolution declaring Sotto as “persona non grata” in the entire province.
Dumadag said in the resolution that the board secretary posted damaging statements and malicious lies in social media “directly” addressed to the people of Misamis Oriental and to the person of Congressman-elect Christian Unabia.
She said one of the damaging statements posted by Sotto in his Facebook account is “Most Misamisnons are whores who spread their legs to the highest bidder. Sa Tagalog pa kayo ay mga P***.”
“The malicious and defamatory statements made by Mr. Sotto are patently conduct unbecoming and is not permissible act of a government employee,” reads part of the resolution.
“While Mr. Sotto who is from Albay and definitely not a Misamisnon and being a stranger he should have been more extra-cautious in his language and more circumspect deserving to be called a government employee and a former seminarian,” it added.
Board member Vincent Pelaez, who presided the regular session, said they will still weigh the gravity of Sotto's offense before they execute the resolution.
He said the provincial board will summon its secretary to appear before the plenary and explain his side.
Board member Frederick Khu has also moved to have Sotto appeared in the Provincial Board to shed light on unacted matters related to his functions as board secretary.
“As of now e-weigh pa nato kung unsaon pag-execute sa duha ka resolution (as of now we will weigh on how are we going to execute the two resolutions),” Pelaez said.
Pelaez said Sotto is a regular employee of the capitol's legislative branch and he should have not made the statements that would hurt the people of Misamis Oriental.
But, Pelaez is uncertain of the participation of Sotto in the past campaign.
“Dili man proven kung iya tong account pero granting nga iya to, sigurado ako nga naa siya’y kasaypanan ngano iya tong gihimo sa katawhan sa Misamis Oriental tungod lang kay napildi ang tawo nga iyang gisuportahan,” Pelaez said.
(It is not proven yet if the social media account was his or not, but granting it is his, surely there is a violation there that implicated the people of Misamis Oriental, just because the people he supported lost.)
Pelaez added the resolution will be forwarded to the Civil Service Commission, local chief executives of every towns and cities in the province, including village chiefs.
Sotto has yet to respond when Sunstar Cagayan de Oro reached him for comment.