THE Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed from service Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Bayron after he was found guilty of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct.
In a ruling approved by the Ombudsman last December 15, 2016, the mayor and his son Karl Bayron were found administratively liable for facilitating the appointment of Karl as a project manager of the Bantay Puerto-VIP Security Task Force.
Aside from dismissal from service, the father and son were also meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of eligibility and forfeiture of retirement benefits.
Records showed that Lucilo entered into a contract of service with Karl, who was hired as a project manager for the period July 1 to December 31, 2013, with a monthly salary of P16,000 paid out of the city coffers.
In the said contract, it clearly said the parties attested that Karl “is not related with the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity with the hiring authority.”
In his counter-affidavit, the mayor argued that “the position of project manager is a non-plantilla and non-career position in the City Government and that Karl’s primary function is to act as the head of the security personnel of the city mayor.”
The respondents also claimed that “Karl’s position is highly confidential in nature where trust and confidence are the primary considerations.”
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that “while Karl’s engagement was to a confidential position, which is exempted from the rule on nepotism, the disclosure of their filial relationship was still necessary.”
“As for Lucilo, the untruthful statement in the narration of facts was made with abuse of his office as city mayor and as hiring authority,” Morales added.
The Ombudsman also said that the respondents violated Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular 26 and 26-A (Series of 1997), which prohibits the designation of contractual employees, consultants or those holding non-career positions as officers-in-charge, executive directors, or supervisors who exercise control or supervision over regular and career personnel in the hiring agency, including local government units.
“Their acts of concealing such relationship and making of a false statement in the contract constitutes a deliberate violation of the standard of behavior expected of government officials and employees, to state the truth,” the ruling said. (PNA)