FINAL WARNING

CSC to N. Vizcaya gov: comply or face sanctions

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya–The Civil Service Commission has issued a final warning to Gov. Ruth Padilla over her alleged failure to abide by the commission’s order that affirmed the appointments and promotions of 62 permanent employees she illegally dismissed and demoted in 2013.

In a resolution, the CSC directed Padilla to “fully implement” its March 17 decision reinstating the employees to their former positions, and to pay them their back salaries from the time they were ousted from their posts.

The CSC also gave Padilla 10 days to explain why she should not be cited in contempt for failure to implement “a lawful order”.

“Her failure to comply with this order within the specified period shall be considered a waiver thereof and appropriate action will be rendered based on the available records,” the CSC said, through Commissioner Robert Martinez.

DARK & DIRTY

N. Vizcaya execs bought car bling worth P.7M sans bidding

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya–The provincial government has surreptitiously purchased car accessories worth almost P700,000 for 12 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) of board members here without following the law and procedures on government procurement, documents have revealed.

Records showed that as early June last year, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, who were each issued brand new Toyota Fortuner units, bought car accessories worth P682,823 without public bidding, in violation of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

A listing of the items bought also revealed that the board members had installed accessories on their vehicles not classified by law as necessary, but merely for ornament and comfort.

This Toyota Fortuner (license plate SHZ 299) issued to provincial board member Efren Quiben was installed with about P102,000-worth of car accessories, the most for any member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. It now features a carrier, chrome light covers, side mirror covers and door handle fittings, and LED lights. Inside the vehicle, there’s more. Photo by Melvin Gascon

FAILURES

COA scores N. Vizcaya gov’t for ‘low’ performance

THE COMMISSION on Audit (COA) has chided the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya for its supposed “low performance” on the implementation of its projects and programs that were supposed to have been completed last year.

In an audit observation memorandum (AOM) addressed to Gov. Ruth Padilla, the COA noted that the province failed to implement some P426.2 million-worth of projects funded out of its P662.6 million development fund for year 2014.

“Hence, the constituents did not benefit on (sic) the timely delivery of basic services that could have uplifted their socio-economic condition,” the COA said in a document issued on March 30, copies of which were obtained by this writer last week.

CONTEMPT

N. Vizcaya gov sued for failure to reinstate dismissed employees

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya–A group of provincial employees on Thursday filed contempt charges against Gov. Ruth Padilla for her alleged failure to reinstate some 70 of the 180 employees she illegally terminated and demoted in 2013.

In their petition, the group asked the commission to cite Padilla in contempt and that she be meted administrative sanctions for supposedly defying its Sept. 2014 order to reinstate the employees and to pay them their back salaries and other benefits.

“(This) is a crystalline, willful and contumacious refusal and failure on the part of (Padilla) to comply with lawful orders of the honorable commission which she swore to comply (with) and abide (by) when she assumed her position as the honorable governor of the province of Nueva Vizcaya,” the petitioners said.

  

The employees said Padilla allegedly ignored their appeals and did not act on a notice from the CSC regional office which reminded her of the executory nature of the decision, and warned her of possible criminal and administrative liability for failure to comply.

The petitioners said Padilla also did not respond to two letters they sent her–on April 8 and 24–before she left and after she returned from her 12-day travel abroad.

“Instead of complying [with] and heeding the letters, (Padilla)…filed a ‘leave of absence on account of a personal travel abroad’,” the complaining employees said.