DISMISSAL from government service has been recommended by a five-man committee against hospital chief Dr. Eddie Ponio of the Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital (DPMMH) and administrative aide Ronald Pacquing for grave misconduct and partisan political activity in the recent elections.
In a three-page decision by the Investigating Committee chaired by Dr. Marcelo Y. Jaochico, the committee said there is substantial evidence to hold Dr. Ponio and Pacquing liable for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the service and partisan political activity.
"We hereby recommend the imposition of the penalty of dismissal from the service in accordance with Section 46 and 50 of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the civil service," the committee said.
Evidence against the two government employees were presented by the Task Force composed of the Provincial General Service Officer led by Francis Maslog, Provincial Information Officer Joel Mapiles and Management Information System head Mary Lou Espaltero.
"There is an actual CCTV recording on April 9, 2019 at 11 a.m. that shows the election materials in bundles inside the Hospital Information System Management Office of the DPMMH handled by a male employee," the report said.
The task force positively identified the individual to be Pacquing.
Pacquing allegedly identified Ponio as the one who gave him instructions to print the election materials.
The printed election materials found inside the hospital, the task force said, bore the faces and names of Dr. Eddie Ponio and brother Apolinario G. Ponio, who ran for congressional representative for Pampanga's Second District. Ponio lost in his congressional bid.
The task force also added that facility equipment such as risograph, computer, and supplies of the DPMMH were utilized "for the personal interest" of Ponio.