THE Office of the Ombudsman has found former Puntod village chief Marvin Beja and two other barangay officials guilty of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct in relation to the 2015 declogging of canal and footpath project in the village.
In a seven-page order penned by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer 3 Grace Morales and issued on January 10, 2020, the Ombudsman found substantial evidence that respondents Beja, now a barangay councilor, and incumbent Puntod councilor Tyler Sia and former barangay treasurer Carla Javonillo are guilty of serious dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and grave misconduct.
The three village officials were ordered dismissed.
But since the penalty could no longer be imposed due to their separation from the service, "it shall be converted into a fine equivalent to each of the respondent's last salary for one year payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, which may be deducted from their accrued leave credits or any receivable from their office."
"It shall be understood that all the accessory penalties attached to the principal penalty of dismissal shall continue to be imposed," the order said.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Mar Giovanni Cabingas who alleged that the respondents signed a program of works, disbursement voucher to draw a cash advance of P38,400, and a list of laborers for the period February 2-28, 2015, to work for the declogging of canal and footpath project at Block 1, district 5 and Block 4, district 7 of the barangay.
The complainant further alleged that the respondents falsified the payroll of the project, making it appear that two of the laborers listed, identified as Ma. Ides Homeres and Rosalie Dacer, have rendered services when they actually did not.
The order said Homeres attested in an affidavit that she has no knowledge of the project and her employment thereat and that she did not receive any money from the said project, while Dacer already died on May 1973 as shown in a death certificate.
"Evidently, respondents made it appear that Homeres and Dacer worked in the barangay project when in fact, they did not. Under section 3 of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 06-0538, this constitutes administrative offense of serious dishonesty as they employed fraud in the implementation of the barangay project," the order stated.
"Respondents also exhibited flagrant disregard of established rules and this tarnished the image and integrity of their office," it added.