DepEd suspends 3 Palawan officers over alleged job items-for-sale scheme

Investigators allege that the officers took cash in change for approving appointments, transfers and promotions in Palawan, favoring those that paid over certified candidates

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – The Division of Schooling (DepEd) has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of three of its senior officers in Palawan after they have been linked to an alleged job items-for-sale scheme within the province.

In a DepEd order on Friday, August 15, the officers have been named as Elsie Barrios, colleges division superintendent of Palawan; Alfredo Labor, principal of Brooke’s Level Nationwide Excessive College; and Sonny Boy A. Taha, public colleges district supervisor in Bataraza II.

The training officers are dealing with administrative expenses of dishonesty, oppression, grave misconduct and receiving for private use a payment, reward or different useful factor in the middle of official duties.

The order, signed by DepEd Undersecretary for authorized affairs Ray Javier, described their alleged actions as “conduct prejudicial to the most effective curiosity of the service and violation of Sections 3(b) and three(e) of Republic Act 3019.”

Investigators alleged that the officers “requested, required, collected, and accepted cash in change for the approval of appointments, transfers, and promotions in SDO Palawan” and “facilitated the appointments, transfers, and promotions of DepEd personnel in SDO Palawan which are primarily based on financial consideration, and never on the deserves and {qualifications} of the people concerned.”

The officers got 5 days from receipt of the criticism to submit their written solutions and proof. In the event that they fail to reply would imply they’ve waived their proper, the order acknowledged.

DepEd additionally directed its data division to serve copies of the executive cost on the respondents, embrace them within the personnel recordsdata and ahead paperwork to the division’s regional workplace in Mimaropa. Proof of service should be filed inside three days from receipt of the order.

The division stated the suspension was imposed “contemplating the seriousness of the abovementioned expenses.” Whereas not a penalty, it bars the officers from exercising their capabilities whereas the case is pending.

Palawan Provincial Board Member Ryan Maminta, who first raised the problem within the province’s legislature months earlier, stated the suspension order validated long-standing considerations over alleged corruption within the province’s colleges division.

“This motion by DepEd is a step towards accountability. We’ve been constant in pushing for a deeper probe as a result of training ought to by no means be on the market,” Maminta instructed Rappler.

Maminta stated the provincial board would proceed monitoring the proceedings and known as on different training officers to “defend the integrity of public service” amid the controversy.

Barrios, Labor and Taha haven’t issued any public assertion relating to the fees as of posting time. Rappler will replace this report the second they do. – Rappler.com