Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III / CDN Photo Gerard Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Governor Hilario Davide III maintains that the appointment of Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas and Provincial Health Office head, Dr. Rene Catan, in their current positions is valid.
Davide said that filling in the said positions followed the proper procedure wherein Rodas and Catan both qualified.
“As far as this office is concerned, there is nothing illegal in the appointment nila ni Mr. Rodas ug Dr. Catan,” said Davide.
Cebu’s third district Representative Gwendolyn Garcia recently filed criminal and administrative complaints against Davide, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino, Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) head Bonifer Nacorda, Rodas and Catan before the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon for allegedly filling in the two positions that “were not yet deemed vacant.”
Rodas and Catan replaced former budget officer Emme Gingoyon and Dr. Cristina Giango, who were dismissed by the Ombudsman in November 2015 along with the other members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) during Garcia’s stint as Cebu governor.
The Ombudsman found the BAC members guilty of grave misconduct and grave neglect of duty over the construction of the controversial Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
Garcia argued that the appointments should not have been made considering that Gingoyon and Giango appealed their dismissal before the Court of Appeals in December 2015.
The appellate court, on July 2017, released a decision that downgraded the charges against the BAC members as simple misconduct and simple neglect of duty which only carries a sanction of 3-month suspension.
“Our position here is there is nothing illegal sa pagtudlo nila. In fact, katong other persons named as respondents to the case sa Ombudsman have already been reinstated, except for this Gingoyon,” Davide said.
Davide added that he already issued a reinstatement order for Gingoyon but the latter did not return to office.
“Despite my order reinstating him pursuant to the order of the Court of Appeals, wala man gyod siya nipakita dinhi. Nipakita siya kausa unya nagstorya mi. Wa tingali siya nakauyon kay naa man si Mr. Rodas,” he added. /rcg