Malabon DepEd official probed

An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Malabon City has been ordered suspended for 90 days after he was accused of illegally

collecting money from students and concessionaires in public schools under his supervision.

The preventive suspension order was issued by the DepEd National Capital Region (NCR) against Joven Ablola, the DepEd supervisor for District I schools in the city, after it formally charged him with grave misconduct based on documents obtained by the Inquirer.

In addition, Ablola faces the possibility of being charged by the Malabon government after he crashed a city government-issued vehicle he had been ordered to surrender following his suspension, the Inquirer learned.

“After a thorough evaluation of the records of the case and the report of the investigating officers, this office finds the existence of a prima facie case against you,” read the order signed by DepEd-NCR Director Luz Almeda on Oct. 5.

Sources said the suspension took effect October 11 after it was served on Ablola although he refused to receive it. The Inquirer is still trying to reach him for comment.

The charge against him was based on an anonymous complaint sent to Education Secretary Armin Luistro and Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III earlier this year.

The complainants who identified themselves only as “teachers who care” claimed that Ablola earlier ordered them to collect a fee of P15 from students for their exam papers.

Attached to the complainant was a copy of the memorandum signed by Ablola which was sent to school principals and teachers.

In it, Ablola said the test papers for the first grading period were “in the stage of preparation” as he ordered the teachers to collect P15 from each student.

He added that the fee to be collected would be divided as follows: P1 each for the teacher, principal and school district while the remaining P12 would go to the supplier.

The complainants also claimed that Ablola was collecting a “monthly share” ranging from P300 to P1,500 per day from every concessionaire in school canteens under his district.

They likewise accused him of transferring teachers to other areas without proper notice in addition to swearing at and treating teachers badly. “There have been some who [suffer from] nervousness because of him,” they added.

The DepEd-NCR, which is conducting an investigation into the charges against Ablola, said that the allegations were substantial as he failed to account for all the money collected from the students and school concessionaires.

“Such acts or omissions complained of, if true, constitute the administrative offense of grave misconduct,” it said in its order.