MANILA, Philippines -- Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez ordered the filing of criminal case against the president of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) and other officials for various offenses.

University president Eldigario D. Gonzales was ordered charged for violation of Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code for his failure to liquidate cash advances worth P555, 778.90.

In a 16-page Order, Gutierrez said “case records are replete with pieces of evidence more than sufficient to support a finding of probable cause, against respondent, for violation of Art. 218 of the RPC – Failure of Accountable Officer to Render Accounts.”

Meanwhile, in a separate order, Gutierrez charged Manuel S. Rebollos, principal of the Manicahan National High School in Zamboanga City of acts of lasciviousness before the Zamboanga Court after Leizel S. Esona, a teacher, accused him of touching her in a sexually suggestive way.

In a separate case, the Ombudsman placed under preventive suspension Wilma Padama, principal; and Noel A. Caballes, Physics teacher, both of Burgos National High School in Pangasinan.

The two were charged with grave misconduct after a 16-year old male student accused Caballes of sexually abusing him. The student also accused Padama of covering up the incident to avoid criminal prosecution.

In his complaint, the student claimed that Caballes invited him after their class to proceed to his house to finish a school project. When the project was finished, Caballes convinced the student to sleep over where he was sexually abused.

Padama, on the other hand, allegedly told the student not to report the incident to the police in order to avoid a scandal, and required him to sign a document to that effect without allowing him to read nor understand it.