Two jail guards lose bonuses due to one-day suspension

DESPITE serving only a one-day suspension, two jail guards of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) won’t get their performance-based bonuses and will lose one month’s worth of salary.

Lengie Grundiano and Mark Along were found guilty of misconduct by the Capitol’s Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI) for breaking open a door of an office that they were not authorized to enter.

CODI officer Orvi Ortega said it stemmed from a complaint filed by a jail officer identified only as “Daligdig” in December last year.

“(Along and Grundiano) broke open a door of the room that used to be the office of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA). They didn’t ask permission from Daligdig and Dr. Macato (Gil Macato, former provincial warden),” Ortega said.

Their one-day suspension took effect yesterday, and they are expected to return to work today (Thursday).

But based on the Code of Conduct and Ethics among Capitol employees, the suspension entailed the forfeiture of Grundiano’s and Along’s Christmas bonus, anniversary bonus and a one-month equivalent of their regular pay.

“But the forfeiture of their Christmas bonus and anniversary bonus — for this year ra na (only). On the other hand, they are still entitled to receive their 13th-month pay,” Ortega said.

Under Macato’s watch, some detainees who exhibit good behavior and are charged with petty crimes were granted lower sentences in order to decongest the CPDRC whose prison population is double its capacity to accommodate.

The GCTA was suspended last year, Ortega said.

He said the two guards reasoned that they opened the door due to an ongoing greyhound operation and Daligdig could not find the key to the door.