Zamboanga del Norte governor suspended

GOV. ROBERTO UY

ZAMBOANGA del Norte Gov. Roberto Uy was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday for taking too long to act on the request for back wages of a provincial government employee.

Uy was suspended for a month without pay and became the second Mindanao governor to be temporarily removed from office this week. On Monday, the Ombudsman suspended Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. for six months for his failure to sign a retiring employee’s request for conversion of his leave credits.

In an eight-page decision released on Tuesday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said it took Uy two months before he informed administrative assistant Alex Barrera that the letters and endorsements supporting his claims were referred to the provincial legal officer.

The decision said Uy violated Section 5(a) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713), which required officials to respond to letters in 15 working days.

The Ombudsman directed Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno to implement the decision within 10 days from receipt of the order.

The decision, according to the Ombudsman, was “final, executory and unappealable.”

Praxy Rubia, Uy’s executive assistant and spokesperson, said the governor was out of the country and could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Rubia, in a text message said Uy’s office has yet to receive a copy of the Ombudsman’s order.

Barrera, in his complaint-affidavit on Sept. 29, 2015, said he was terminated in August 2013, during his probationary period, for failing to achieve a satisfactory rating. After the Civil Service Commission (CSC) ordered his reinstatement, Barrera was paid only three months worth of back wages.

The Ombudsman, however, dismissed Barrera’s charge of grave abuse of authority against Uy, Vice Gov. Senen Angeles, and provincial budget officer Mary Joy Abitona due to lack of evidence.

While the Ombudsman said there was no evidence to support that Uy refused to implement the CSC decision, the governor was “not totally innocent of any administrative infraction.”

This was because Uy failed to inform Barrera immediately that he had referred the matter to the provincial legal officer.

“As chief executive of the provincial government, [Uy] has the duty to ensure that all executive officials and employees of the province faithfully discharge their duties and functions as provided by law,” the Ombudsman said.

Uy had been suspended for three months in June for the illegal dismissal of six probationary employees when he assumed office in 2013.

In Bukidnon, Zubiri’s suspension stemmed from a complaint by retired provincial assessor Carlos Ycaro.

Zubiri, in statement on Monday, asked the Ombudsman to review its decision. He said he had no authority over Ycaro’s application for commutation of leave credits because he was not the governor when it was filed.

But Zubiri said if he were the official authorized to sign Ycaro’s clearance and act on his request, “prudence and my conscience would dictate that I would rather not sign [these because of] his ‘unaccounted’ items, which are valued in millions [of pesos].” With a report from Julie S. Alipala and Jigger J. Jerusalem, Inquirer Mindanao