CDO prosecutor suspended for pushing a woman, slamming case folders

An associate provincial prosecutor in Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro has been suspended for allegedly pushing a woman, shouting at her, slamming case folders, and throwing a stapler and puncher.

In a press release, the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday said the prosecutor, Joan Albarece, was found guilty of simple misconduct and was slapped with a suspension order of one month and one day.

The suspension stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Quennie Ebonia, an employee of the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor (OPP) of Misamis Oriental, Cagayan De Oro.

Ebonia claimed that Albarece “had a fit and slammed the case folders on the table, threw the stapler and puncher, pushed her, and shouted at her.”

According to the Ombudsman, when Ebonia filed the complaint before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Albarece reportedly confronted her.

Ebonia claimed that the prosecutor reportedly said, “Am I that strong? If I wanted to smash your face, I would have smashed it already. Do not exaggerate. You are a liar. You cannot accept what you have done to me.”

In defense, Albarece argued that her actions “have no bearing on her performance as a prosecutor,” but the Ombudsman did not accept her explanation.

“The fact that respondent’s acts were committed within the premises of the OPP strengthens this Office’s view that such acts were intimately connected to her office. Verily, respondent is liable for misconduct for acting menacingly towards complainant,” the Ombudsman’s decision stated.

“Employees in the government service are bound by the rules of proper and ethical behavior. They are expected to act with self-restraint and civility at all times, even when confronted with rudeness and insolence,” it added.  /vvp