BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. yesterday assured the 18 employees of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) of a “fair probe” on alleged irregularities in the performance of their duties and behavior towards fellow coworkers.
The PLO issued show cause orders against 18 PDMPD personnel for failure to comply with the rule on the submission of trip tickets immediately after their travel, while others had complaints against their behavior.
Of the employees, 13 are ambulance drivers, three are administrative aides, one senior officer and a utility worker.
The Progressive Alliance of Capitol employees earlier called for a fair probe of the 18 PDMPD workers, stressing that they are not tolerating misbehavior among Capitol employees, but due process should be accorded.
Nellas said that the results of their investigations are always based on substantial evidence.
Taking into consideration that the PDMPD is a huge office and each of its personnel cannot be monitored, Nellas however stressed the need to police their ranks, as he also refused to say that the office was poorly managed.
He also said that the issuance of show cause orders, which are being referred to them for investigation, is also a way of policing the ranks.
The issuance of show cause orders to 18 PDMPD employees comes in the wake of the 60-day suspension of five employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, pending investigations of alleged grave misconduct.
Nellas said that the preventive suspension ends by the middle of October.
After that, they will be back on duty, regardless of the ongoing administrative hearings, he added.
Nellas explained that the 60-day preventive suspension is a precautionary measure to protect the gathered evidence.*
