By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental provincial government is currently awaiting its next course of action for sacked employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) involved in a drinking binge during an official trip last year.

Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas, Jr. said the four terminated OPA employees have until tomorrow, January 19, to file a motion for reconsideration before Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who serves as the disciplining authority.

The employees also have the option to directly appeal their dismissal from the service before the Civil Service Commission.

Nellas said the termination order was “final and executory,” and was served against the four last January 4.

The dismissed OPA employees were still given 15 days to take action before the order becomes final, Nellas added.

The four OPA employees were identified as engineers German Abihay, Ramelo Letran, Rezin Palacios, and project development assistant Maria Luisa Abano.

Aside from dismissal from service, they will also be penalized with the forfeiture of retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and being barred from taking civil service examinations.

Previously, the four OPA employees were slapped with a 60-day preventive suspension following their alleged drinking binge during an official trip to the province’s Victorias City in July of last year. /DGB, WDJ