A DIRECTOR of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Association (OWWA) in Central Visayas was ordered suspended for nine months without pay.
Willfreda Misterio, who is based in Cebu City, used the office vehicle to fetch her from her residence to the office, and brought the OWWA janitress to do personal chores in her house, according to the Office of the Ombudsman, which found Misterio guilty of “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”
She was also held liable for pulling out office supplies such as batteries, alcohol, and tissue paper for her personal and family use as well as making false claims for meal reimbursment for someone who didn’t attend a meeting.
The issues stemmed from a complaint filed by OWWA 7 supply officer Romyl Cabillo in 2013 who said the incidnets happened the year before .
OWWA driver Rondell Nolido, the account of the janitress and logbook entries of the office’s security guard corrobrated the complaint.
In her defense, Misterio said a security logbook was not an official record but just an “unverified and unofficial” note by the guard.
She said there were instances when she used the OWWA vehicle but all were for official businesses.
Misterio admitted bringing the OWWA janitress to her residence but said everything done there was related to official work like cleaning, sorting out, documents and bringing to the office some official files or documents at home.
She said the janitress also washed dishes in her house maybe because the latter was “used to it.”
Misterio denied misusing office resources and supplies for personal use. She said made an “honest and inadvertent mistake in a reimbursement claim of an employee.
Any government-issued vehicle should be used solely for official business, said the Ombudsman.
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