A former employee of the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist filed an appeal before the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Quezon City on Tuesday, August 29, seeking the reversal of an order of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson dismissing him from the service.
Agriculturist 1 Herminigildo Basilio was dismissed for the alleged disappearance of 789 bags of fertilizer valued at P2,367,000 from the provincial government’s Rice Processing Center (RPC) warehouse in Tabunan, Bago City, last year.
But Basilio told the CSC that the findings against him for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and malversation of public funds are premised on erroneous factual allegations and are not supported with substantial evidence.
Basilio asked the CSC to order his immediate reinstatement and payment of back wages and other reliefs.
Lacson has not produced any evidence that he was stationed at the warehouse and in charge of the fertilizer, Basilio said.
The erroneous and unsubstantiated allegations against him were that he received 2,000 bags of fertilizers from the Department of Agriculture, it was his duty to safe keep and distribute the fertilizers, he was stationed at and was in-charge of the RPC warehouse and was the accountable officer, Basilio said.
Simply put, the adverse findings for serious charges against him are all premised on erroneous facts to make him a scapegoat, Basilio said.
This situation is a clear injustice for any person to be charged with serious offenses and subsequently publicly maligned based on mere allegations, he said.
Basilio also asked the CSC to determine the legality of his preventive suspension previously imposed by Lacson, and for speedy disposition of his case.*