MSU head suspended for ignoring CSC order

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the six-month suspension of the president of the Mindanao State University (MSU) for failing to follow a Civil Service Commission (CSC) order to reinstate a director of the university in 2004.

In a 16-page decision, Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez said MSU president Camar Umpa “openly refused” to execute the CSC resolution directing the reinstatement of Zenaida Pangandaman-Gania as director II of the MSU-Manila Information Office (MIO).

The CSC issued Resolution No. 041362 on Dec. 7, 2004, directing the MSU to immediately reinstate Gania as MSU-MIO director, following a favoring ruling from the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the Ombusman also suspended two education officials in the cities of Toledo (Cebu) and Silay (Negros Occidental) and a city prosecutor.

Jose Cabantan, schools division superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Toledo City, was suspended for six months without pay due to charges of oppression and misconduct.

He was accused of physically injuring his former assistant superintendent, Dr. Fernando Po.

In his complaint, Po said that on the morning of Dec. 23, 2004, he and Cabantan had a confrontation regarding the latter’s alleged illegal activities.

At the height of the verbal tussle, Cabantan hit Po on the face until he fell down, and continued to kick him until other people intervened.

In a separate case, the Ombudsman also suspended for six months and one day Eva Belicena, schools division superintendent, and prosecutor Liz Lorraine Atotubo, both of Silay City, for “open disobedience and gross insubordination.”

The case stemmed from the complaint of Carlo Gamban, who alleged that Belicena and Atotubo, as members of the city board of canvassers, defied an order of the Commission on Elections to reconvene and canvass contested election returns and proclaim the winning mayoral candidate of Silay City.

The canvassing had been suspended due to objections raised by one of the candidates.

The anti-graft office also suspended 19 other officers of DepEd and other state-run colleges for various offenses.

Suspended for one month without pay was Edna Pasamonte, DepEd district supervisor of Alicia, Isabela, who was found guilty of misconduct for demanding from teachers 10 percent of their increment pay as processing fee.

Meanwhile, Francisco Villaester III, public schools district supervisor of Toledo City, was slapped with a one-month suspension for simple misconduct for falsifying his certificate of appearance to justify his absence from work.

In another case, the Ombudsman reprimanded the following officials for simple neglect of duty: Pablo Abon, district supervisor; and Wilfredo Abordo, cluster head, both of the DepEd in El Nido, Palawan; Ruben Nolasco, officer-in-charge of the New Ibajay Elementary School; Jeorly Paulino, barangay chairman; Diosdado Fernando, barangay tanod; Mario Gabayan, Cecilia Gabayan, Julito Magluya, also from Palawan.

In a complaint, one Petra Gabayan said the respondents conspired to demolish a fence she had built around her property, which was near the New Ibajay Elementary School.

The Ombudsman, in another case, dismissed from the service Joel Gueco, a professor of the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) in Manila, for beating up a freshman student in 2006.

The anti-graft office also ordered the filing of estafa charges against Auromar Gutang, instructor III of the Western Mindanao State University-Tampilisan campus.

Records showed that Gutang collected P40 as College Chronicle fee from each student in 2002 without any authority. Gutang allegedly issued a total of 59 unofficial receipts amounting to P2,360.

The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of a sexual harassment case against professor Marcelo Yagong, director of the University of Southern Mindanao-Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation, based on the complaint of a first-year nursing student.

The Ombudsman also approved the filing of a case for malversation of public funds against Genoveva Moyon, disbursing officer I of the Pangasinan State University in San Carlos City, who allegedly incurred a cash shortage of P593,550.

Despite demands, Moyon failed to produce the missing funds, and even went on absence without official leave.

The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of two counts of graft against Rolando Checa, former chief of the DepEd’s Payroll Services Division, for failing to disclose in his 2000, 2001 and 2002 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth a 150-square-meter property he bought in cash on June 28, 1999 and two other lots, with areas of 110 sqm and 119 sqm, also purchased in cash on July 6, 2001.