• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
“There was no harassment intended, and all cases went through a process.”
That was the response of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to the allegations thrown by the suspended Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena after she received her suspension letter on October 21.
Decena, in her interview with Digicast Negros, said that there were a series of harassment against the employees who worked honestly inside the capitol.
“There is a pattern of harassment in the provincial government against individuals who have honestly served the provincial government for years, some of whom have either been forced to resign or slapped with unfair penalties. This begs the question – why?” she told Digicast.
In response, Lacson, during a media interview, denied the allegations, citing that all suspension orders had gone through an exact and fair process.
“We always go through a process for all cases regarding the provincial employees. The decisions were made, and there was no harassment intended,” Lacson explained.
He further added that the province is open to cater to complaints such as Decena’s, who was suspended for six months without pay along with four of her staff.
He suggested that it is better for them to directly file their Motion for Reconsideration (MR) directly to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for a more objective and legal process.
“In fact they can use that for their MR; if they really feel that way, they can elevate that to the CSC, and if they [CSC] will turn it around on the basis of harassment, then that’s it,” Lacson said.
On October 21, Decena, who formerly served as Mambukal Mountain Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary Officer-in-Charge, with four of her disbursing officers, has been suspended on the grounds of “simple neglect of duty”, which was aggravated due to the amount involved, Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. confirmed.
Nellas explained that the suspended employees were found administratively liable for neglect of duty related to irregularities and delays in the remittances of cash advances, resulting in a P3 million loss for Mambukal.*
