SC upholds dismissal of ex-officials of Benguet town

The Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of three former officials of Buguias, Benguet in connection with the disbursement of P1 million to a contractor of fungicides and insecticides.

According to a press briefer, the Supreme Court en banc dismissed the petitions of the Anecita Suyat, Asano Aban, and Marcelino Endi assailing a Court of Appeals decision that affirmed the Ombudsman ruling that found them guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The Ombudsman found that the petitioners facilitated the transaction without resorting to alternative modes of procurement.

For its part, the SC said that the lack of required documentation, the likely intentional omission of dates on documents, reference to brand names of pesticides, the match between costs in purchase requests and quotations of the supplier, absence of approval from the mayor “collectively constituted a stain on the reputation of Philippine public service.”

According to the SC, even though the petitioners were acquitted in relation to the criminal proceedings before the Sandiganbayan, the disposition of their administrative cases still stood as administrative cases.

The SC said administrative cases were independent of criminal proceedings.

“The Court found that there was enough substantial evidence on record to hold petitioners administratively liable for their transgressions as municipal officials, and these became the basis for the findings of the Ombudsman,” the SC briefer said.

“Said findings, absent any showing of grave abuse of discretion on the Ombudsman’s part, were considered conclusive upon the Court following standing jurisprudence,” it added.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan. —NB, GMA Integrated News