By CESAR JOLITO III
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered the dismissal of a provincial government department head following a series of serious administrative charges stemming from complaints by job order workers, retirees and a fellow government employee.
Lacson, in a decision dated June 17, dismissed Human Resource Department head Atty. Anabelle Palic after she was found guilty of oppression, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave misconduct, and being notoriously undesirable.
Palic’s dismissal carries heavy penalties, including the cancellation of her civil service eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, barring from taking any future civil service examinations, and forfeiture of all retirement benefits.
These sanctions are anchored under Section 57 (a), Rule 10 of the 2017 Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.
Provincial Legal Office (PLO) head Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr., who also acted as hearing officer in the case, explained that the complaints against Palic were consolidated as early as 2021 by the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees.
Among the key issues raised were
* Requiring additional and unauthorized documents from job order workers before releasing their salaries;
* Refusing to acknowledge the leave of an employee during the height of the pandemic; and
* Delays and difficulties experienced by several retirees in obtaining clearance for their retirement pay.
Nellas added that these complaints pointed to a consistent pattern of abuse of authority and neglect of administrative duties, leading to the harsh penalties imposed.
On June 30, Palic filed a motion for reconsideration before Lacson, who serves as the disciplining authority.
The provincial government has 15 days to resolve the motion.
If the motion is denied, Palic has the option to elevate the case to the Civil Service Commission.
The case is the most high-profile dismissal under the current administration, signaling what Capitol insiders interpret as a strong move by the provincial government to enforce accountability and protect the welfare of its workers.
Show-cause orders
Meanwhile, the PLO served show-cause orders (SCOs) against three personnel from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) after they were accused of accepting payments in exchange for speeding up the release of permits.
A complainant alleged that the three requested payment to expedite the release of Recognition of Active Surveillance on African Swine Fever documents.
Nellas said the PVO employees must submit a written explanation, comment or sworn counter-affidavit within five days of receiving the SCOs.
“This is to explain why no criminal, civil or administrative cases should be filed against them,” Nellas said in his order.
“Failure to comply will be considered a waiver, and the preliminary investigation may proceed without their input,” he added./CJ, WDJ