BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz yesterday announced the re-assignment of Atty. Anabelle Palic, who is the Human Resource Management Officer of the provincial government of Negros Occidental, to the Office of the Governor effective March 5.
This was in response to the petition of the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees, which was signed by its 560 members, who are requesting Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson to remove Palic as Human Resource Officer, whom they accused for causing miseries to their lives.
Diaz said that Filomena Guzon has been designated as officer-in-charge of the Human Resource Management Office, while Palic will be assigned to the Office of the Governor, to oversee the transition for the provincial government of Negros Occidental takeover of the Cyber Center.
“We need a lawyer, somebody of her experience also as a Human Resource officer. We want to give her a chance to look at another role in the province of Negros Occidental,” he said.
The PACE headed by Renelo Lastierre accused Palic for causing miseries to the lives of Capitol workers, including her policies of requiring employees who have been quarantined by virtue of government regulation on Covid-19, to file leave of absence and clearances to that effect, asking too much requirements on retiring employees, delay in the releases of special risk allowance, non availment of longitivity pay, unreasonable transfer of some health workers, deliberate delay in the preparation and release of the job order workers plantilla.
Diaz explained that the purpose of Palic’s reassignment aimed at allowing and independent group of people to look at allegations of PACE members. “ We would like also to prevent somebody,using their position,or authority to retaliate against the petitioners”, he said.
Recalling that there was also a petition from PACE against Palic, Diaz said he requested the union not to pursue it, and to give the Human Resource officer a chance to work with the employees, under the leadership of Gov. Lacson.
A year and eight months after, Diaz said similar complaints have been aired against Palic, which he added that Gov. Lacson could no longer ignored.
“We have to act, in order to –protect the rights and interests of the employees”, he stressed.
Diaz also explained that the reassignment of Palic is nothing new, since it was done before by former Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., before the administration of Gov. Lacson stepped in.
He recalled that Palic was then replaced by Lucille Pines as acting Human Resource officer, before her reinstatement.
“I think she should also listen to the sentiments of our employees” Diaz said.
Asked on the answer of Palic to the allegations against her, Diaz said there is no need for Atty. Palic to answer, since this is not an administrative case. “This is a management prerogative,” he stressed
Diaz believes that what Gov. Lacson has been done was a “win-win” solution for Palic and PACE members.*
