City worker comes to defense of dismissed mayor’s son

A new twist has emerged in the grave misconduct and serious dishonesty case hounding Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Bayron and son Karl weeks after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has already ordered their dismissal.

The city employee found to have been illegally reassigned by Bayron’s son Karl came forward this week to deny one of the Ombudsman’s key findings for dismissing the duo from public office.

Morales had earlier ruled the Bayrons guilty, among other things, of grave misconduct for violating Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circulars No. 26 and 26-A, series of 1997.

The rules prohibit noncareer officials like Karl, who was hired as a project manager for the city’s environmental watchdog Bantay Puerto, from exercising supervision over regular and career personnel.

However, in an affidavit dated Jan. 28,—more than two months after the Ombudsman decision—Rigor Cobarrubias denied that it was Karl who detailed him to the City Traffic Management Office.

In the affidavit released to the media by Bayron’s camp, Cobarrubias said he was the one who requested Mayor Bayron, not Karl, to transfer him to the traffic office in September 2013 after working for Bantay Puerto Program Night Patrol since July.

“My reassignment to the City Traffic Management Office arose from the designation by Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron himself and Karl Bayron has nothing to do with it,” read the affidavit, written in Filipino.

Morales also ruled that the Bayrons were guilty of grave misconduct and serious dishonesty when they allegedly concealed their relationship in the contract of service for the latter’s engagement as Bantay Puerto project manager.

The July 1, 2013 contract of service with the younger Bayron specifically stated that he is “not related within the fourth degree of consanguinity/affinity with the Hiring Authority.”

Morales rejected the Bayrons’ defense that there was no obligation to disclose their relationship because Karl was not considered a public officer by virtue of his “primarily confidential position.”