By CESAR JOLITO III

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has ordered the reinstatement of lawyer Ernie Magaspag, former legal counsel of Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office (PLO), following the dismissal of the administrative cases that led to his removal from government service nearly six years ago.

In an 11-page decision dated June 17 and signed by CSC Commissioner Luis Meinrado Pangulayan, Magaspag was cleared of charges of serious dishonesty and falsification of official documents, citing insufficient evidence to support the allegations.

The case stemmed from an anonymous complaint filed on August 30, 2019, alleging habitual tardiness and absences among some lawyers assigned to the PLO.

The complaint relied on CCTV footage summary reports that purportedly showed discrepancies between Magaspag’s actual arrival times and his biometric and daily time record entries.

On September 16, 2020, Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson approved a decision finding Magaspag guilty of the administrative charges and dismissing him from service.

Magaspag subsequently elevated the case to the CSC through an appeal.

In its latest ruling, the CSC reversed the dismissal order, ruling that the evidence used against Magaspag, particularly the CCTV summaries, was unauthenticated and therefore lacked probative value.

The CSC cleared Magaspag of all charges and directed his reinstatement to his former position as Attorney IV.

The agency also ordered the payment of his full back wages, benefits and accrued leave credits covering the entire period he was separated from government service./CCJ, WDJ