Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrado Diaz and Executive Assistant II Chery Sheil Valenzuela are returning to work on Thursday, September 19.
Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero of the Department of the Interior and Local Government directed Teodora Sumagaysay, DILG Negros Occidental provincial director, to immediately implement the decision of the Ombudsman, which reduced the suspension of the two from six to one month.
Diaz and Valenzuela started serving their suspensions on June 8, so their one month suspension should have ended in July.
Ingeniero, in his memorandum dated Tuesday, Sept. 17, cited the August 21 order approved by the Office of the Ombudsman reducing the penalty meted on the two for the private practice of law in “conflict” with their jobs at the provincial government.
The Ombudsman’s order stated that it “finds that the penalty originally imposed against respondents-movants is not commensurate with the infraction. A penalty less punitive would suffice”.
Ingeniero also pointed out that the Ombudsman dismissed the administrative charges against Diaz and Valenzuela for Serious Dishonesty, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service, Grave Abuse of Authority, Grave Misconduct, Gross Neglect of Duty and Oppression for lack of merit.
The complaint filed by lawyer Roxenne Sumanting against Diaz and Valenzuela stemmed from their alleged failure to provide legal assistance or representation to Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, for an expropriation case that the municipality filed before the Regional Trial Court of Himamaylan City.
The complaint said they acted in conflict of interest as they appeared as counsel for JLL Agriculture and Development, one of the defendants in the expropriation case during their incumbencies as provincial administrator and executive assistant II.
Diaz and Valenzuela maintain that they did not act in conflict of interest.*