Retired Negros Occidental Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino can still avail of his retirement benefits from the Government Service Insurance System even if the provincial government is pursuing charges against him, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said Wednesday, August 11.
The PLO served formal charges for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, falsification of an official document and gross neglect against Masculino on Tuesday, Nellas said.
The charges stem from the unpaid catering services for Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) trainers training activities in 2018 totaling about P1 million.
Nellas said no money was dispersed by the provincial government,
but there were discrepancies in the documentation.
Masculino said he is in a period of discernment on what God’s plans are for him, he will just submit his defense.
No money was stolen from the coffers of the government, he stressed. Masculino had earlier offered to pay for the P1 million catering debt from his retirement money.
The provincial government has filed two other complaints against him for accepting two grain dryers that were allegedly not according to specifications and for 23 unfinished irrigation projects that were supposed to have started even before he became provincial agriculturist.
Nellas said while Masculino can receive his GSIS retirement benefits he may not be paid for his leave credits by the Capitol pending the resolution of the charges against him.*