Negros Occidental town mayor fined for untimely firing consultants

A municipal mayor in Negros Occidental is found administratively liable for the termination of the consultancy services of two doctors at the town’s hospital before their contracts ended. INQUIRER FILES

BACOLOD CITY — A municipal mayor in Negros Occidental was found administratively liable for the termination of the consultancy services of two doctors at the town’s hospital before their contracts ended.

The Provincial Board (PB) of Negros Occidental, acting as the investigating body, said Mayor Marilyn Era of Calatrava town was guilty of grave abuse of authority and gross negligence of duty.

In a decision signed by Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer on Nov. 26, Era was meted a penalty of a two-month suspension.

But in consideration of the need for continuity of public service to the people of Calatrava, the PB decided to just let the mayor pay a fine equivalent to two months of her salary, payable to the complainants, instead of being suspended.

The Inquirer tried to reach Era through the phone to get her side of the story but failed.

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Dr. Lewyn Torres, one of the two complaints, told the Inquirer in an interview on Dec. 6, that he was not satisfied with the PB’s decision because based on the provisions of the law, grave misconduct was punishable by six months to one year suspension.

He said he would meet with his legal counsel and may elevate the case to the Office of the Ombudsman.

The issue stemmed from a complaint filed by Torres and Dr. Kristine Ureta who were hired by the mayor as medical consultants of the Calatrava Municipal Hospital for three months or from April 1 to June 30, 2024.

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In the last month of their consultancy services, they were informed by the chief of the hospital that they would not receive “any scheduled rotation” for June.

They argued that this act implies an early dismissal as the absence of work assignment was a prelude that they were excluded from the consultancy services.

The complainants wrote a letter to the mayor on June 3 ,seeking clarification but did not get a reply.

In its decision, the PB said Era committed grave abuse of authority by refusing to provide a work schedule to the two doctors for the month of June and negligence for her refusal to reply to their queries.