A dismissed lawyer of the Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office has filed a complaint against Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson before the Office of the President through the Department of the Interior and Local Government and is seeking his immediate preventive suspension.
Lawyer Ernie Magaspag, in a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte dated December 9, said he was filing a formal complaint against the governor for alleged abuse of authority, misconduct in office, gross negligence or dereliction of duty, and other administrative cases as his evidence may warrant.
This is pertinent to the complaint before the Office of the President through the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Hotline for undue delay in the payment of supplies by the province of Negros Occidental, endorsed by the DILG to the Office of the Governor, he said.
He said it is the office of Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz that is responsible for the payment of the suppliers.
Magaspag said on July 14, 2020, he filed a formal complaint against Diaz before the Office of the Governor in relation to the delayed payments and was shocked when it was outrightly dismissed on flimsy grounds by Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr.
Magaspag said considering that the governor is the highest official of the province, he asked that a preventive suspension be issued against him in order to protect the evidence and documents at hand.
The evidence against the governor is strong that could lead to his eventual dismissal from the service, Magaspag said.
Nellas said they have already filed their reply to the complaint against the governor.
The complaint against the governor had no supporting evidence to show that the governor had committed any irregularities, Nellas said.
It seems to be a retaliatory move by Magaspag who was dismissed from office by the governor, he said.
Actions of the governor are transparent and in accordance with the law, Nellas said.
Diaz said Magaspag does not know what he is saying.
“I do not disburse funds, only the treasurer disburses funds and any of her authorized bonded employees,” he said.
So under the Local Government Code, the treasurer cannot be part of the Bids and Awards Committee and the accountant because there should be checks and balances, Diaz said.
Under the set up of the governor all of that is observed, he said.
Diaz also said the checks he signs are not related to the awards that are given by the Bids and Awards Committee.
He said his authority is only to sign checks up to P200,000 when it comes to suppliers, he does not issue checks when it comes to suppliers contracts that go through bidding and involve big amounts.
Magaspag has no evidence against the governor, Diaz said.*