By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said the recent firing of four personnel of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) should serve as a warning for Capitol employees not to be abusive.

According to Diaz, the incident is not the first time that they have to issue disciplinary actions against erring personnel of the provincial government.

He reminded them to take care of their work and not to mix non-work related activities that could violate the civil service law.

The administrator also reminded employees not to abuse their use of government-owned property, particularly the Capitol-owned vehicles.

Last week, Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas, Jr. said engineers German Abihay, Ramelo Letran, Rezin Palacios, and project development assistant Maria Luisa Abano were dismissed from their posts at OPA in relation to a “drinking binge” incident in the province’s Victorias City in July of last year.

The dismissal order took effect last January 3.

Nellas said they can still appeal their dismissal order through the Civil Service Commission.

However, since the order was “final and executory,” they will no longer be allowed to work in the provincial government.

Aside from dismissal from service, the four will also be penalized with the forfeiture of their retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and barring them from taking civil service examinations.

Nellas said the fifth employee in the case, Engineer Jimbo Garsula, was under formal investigation./DGB, WDJ