• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya clarified on Monday that recent disciplinary actions involving several City Hall employees were strictly administrative and not driven by personal motives.
The statement followed reports from the City Legal Office (CLO) regarding sanctions and investigations into at least 12 regular employees for various infractions, including grave misconduct and neglect of duty.
The mayor explained that these measures are part of an effort to set a tone of accountability within the city government, noting that the actions were a necessary response to formal complaints and allegations received by his office regarding the conduct of government workers.
“Those who were issued show-cause orders, I do not even know them personally. It just so happens that, for example, you haven’t been working for several years or a case was filed against fellow employees, so we have to act on it,” Gasataya said.
He pointed out that the cases originated from documented violations, such as long-term absences or internal complaints filed by other employees, which the administration is obligated to address.
Gasataya reminded staff that while their positions are stable due to Civil Service protections, their compensation is funded by taxpayers.
He emphasized the necessity of these administrative actions to ensure that all city employees are fulfilling their duties to the public.
Records from the CLO showed that three utility workers from the General Services Office were recently dropped from the rolls after being declared absent without official leave.
Formal charges and show-cause orders have also been issued against other personnel, including medical officers for conduct unbecoming of public servants and engineering staff regarding the neglect of the city’s resources inventory.*
