Local News: Dismissal Order by Ombudsman to Mayor Bing a ‘Pandora’s Box’?
The Ombudsman’s dismissal order which caught media attention starting last Wednesday of two key officials of the Bacolod City Government, a City Accountant and a City Internal Auditor, is an organizational setback and beset with complications.
The Ombudsman in the Visayas order which came to fore very recently is a March 7, 2007 order for Mayor Evelio Leonardia to dismiss six employees of the city government.
The case was filed by the Commission on Audit Regional Office VI against City Accountant Eduardo Ravena and Management and Audit Service Office OIC Ricardo Dahildahil Jr. (now City Internal Auditor).
Also ordered dismissed are Crafts and Trade helper Salvacion Ortega, Office of the City Treasurer Clerk II Lalaine Villalva, former Executive Assistant Renato Rojo under former Mayor Joy Valdez and the late City Accountant Pioquito Quiñones.
Group of concerned local literati interviewed who asked for anonymity described the unexpected appeal of Mayor Leonardia through the City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan dated April 26, 2012 as a "Pandora’s Box".
They did not express surprise why a 2007 Ombudsman decision of dismissal was "swept under the rug" despite the fact that said decision was a Leonardia political nemesis former Mayor Joy Valdez irregularity.
These NDB sources rather reflected on countless cases since the construction of the Bacolod Government Center where the names of Ravena and Dahildahil are clearly implicated, thus their dismissal carries unimaginable weight of "gifts" kept in Pandora’s Box.
Whistleblower Sarah Esguerra reinforced their judgment, in a separate interview, saying that both Ravena and Dahildahil are voucher signatories before cash can be released.
Esguerra believe they are therefore keys or major players in graft and corruption cases committed by the present administration, thus their critical role to the present administration is valuable and naturally their dismissal must be delayed.
Esguerra is the source of the Ombudsman Visayas letter dated June 11 signed by Carla Juris Narvios-Tanco which was sent directly to her; she said there are more Ombudsman decisions which she will personally receive.*
