Negros Occidental Board Member Salavador Escalante, former mayor of Cadiz City, said the Court of Appeals order for the reinstatement of LeoniloHulleza as city engineer of Cadiz City is moot and academic.

That is because he had already been dismissed as city engineer of the city for another case, Escalantesaid.

Escalante said thaton October 30, 2009, he dismissed Hulleza as city engineerafter finding him  guilty of dishonesty, gross misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the servicein an administrative case.

The administrative case stemmed from a complaint filed by Vicente Tad-y, a contractor, against Hullezafor using his position as city engineer to demand and receive grease money in the amount of P140,769, he said.

 Hulleza  had asked for a percentageof thecost of six different construction projects, Tad-y charged.

Hulleza, however,   vehemently denied that he demanded or received any money from Tad-y.

But City Legal Office Reggie Placido, in his Oct. 29. 2009resolution of the administrative case,  said the positive testimony and evidence of the complainant constituted substantial evidence to hold Hulleza administratively liable.

Escalante said the CA decision promulgated on January 31,2012 ordering the reinstatement ofHulleza was not in connection with his dismissal, but in his havingbeen placed on floating status July 2, 2007.

That has been superseded byhis dismissal on October 30, 2009, Escalante stressed.*CPG

back to top