Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Secretary Nilo Alejandrino yesterday said he will file an appeal asking the Civil Service Commission to lift the preventive suspension order issued him by the vice mayor on the administrative case filed against him by Councilor Caesar Distrito.

Alejandrino said he will also file his answer to the formal charge filed against him by Distrito on Monday.

Distrito had filed an administrative complaint against Alejandrino last month for alleged grave misconduct, abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming, and unprofessional conduct, before the Office of the Vice Mayor.

Alejandrino was issued a 60-day preventive suspension Wednesday by Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson as disciplining authority, based on the findings of the committee created to conduct a preliminary investigation on the complaint.

At a press conference yesterday in Bacolod City, his legal counsel, Lorenzo Alminaza, said they will file an appeal with the CSC since the suspension without pay meted Alejandrino is punitive and harsh for a long serving career officer like him especially since it is the Christmas season.

Alejandrino said if the complaints were filed before the CSC he is confident that they will all be dismissed.

His other lawyer, Edgar Tuclaud, said they are asking for the inhibition of Sayson out of delicadeza since he is convinced that his client is liable of the charge. He is the appointing authority but the law does not specifically say that his is the disciplining authority, he said.

Alejandrino said that from the start there was partiality and bias since the vice mayor did not get members of the investigating committee from the minority members in the SP.

Sayson recalled that he had forwarded a case filed by the late City Legal Officer Allan Zamora against Alejandrino to the CSC, but the Commission returned it to his office telling him that he has jurisdiction over the case, considering that he is the appointing officer.

If they appeal the case with the CSC, they better do so, so they will be clarified on what the law means by concurrent jurisdiction and everything will be settled, he said.

Alejandrino questioned why the vice mayor acted on his case first which is Administrative Case-003 that was filed last month when he has not yet acted on the Administrative Case-001 which he had filed in July against the head of the SP Steno Section which involves falsification of public documents and the seriousness of the offense committed by Conchita Castillo merits preventive suspension.

He said he has been with the SP for 18 years and has been under seven vice mayors and he was a recipient of the Most Outstanding Government Executive Award in 2006 during the city’s Charter Day.

Sayson said the case involving Castillo had been delayed since Alejandrino only submitted his complaint under oath after several exchanges of affidavits had been made involving the case filed by Distrito against him.

When he received Alejandrino’s complaint, he forwarded it to Castillo and in three days she filed her answer, denying the accusations of Alejandrino, he said.

In the case of Distrito, Alejandrino did not answer so he forwarded all documents to the committee that was created to conduct preliminary investigation, Sayson said.

Under the Uniform Rules and Procedures, the disciplinary officer has the power to choose the members of the committee, he said, adding that he has confidence in the integrity of Councilors Dindo Ramos, Homer Bais and Roberto Rojas, he said.

Meanwhile, Alejandrino said his lawyers are gathering evidences against Distrito for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and for violation of Good Conduct and Ethical Standards to be filed before the Ombudsman

Alejandrino claimed that Distrito solicited 100 pieces of lumber from a subdivision developer, who has a pending application for business permit with his office, purposely for the fire victims of Barangay 7 whose houses were destroyed by fire on September 13.

Distrito denied the allegations and said it a diversionary tactic on the part of Alejandrino.

He said he will also file libel charges against Alejandrino for maligning his name.

Distrito had earlier filed criminal charges against Alejandrino before the Ombudsman in relation to a “chair-throwing incident” at the SP Office.

“If the charges I filed against him (Alejandrino) are true, he should suffer the consequences, if not, he should deny them, he said.

Distrito said he did not commit graft and corruption since he was issued a certification signed by Brgy. Captain Bernabe Sibug that Barangay 7 was a recipient of construction materials, cash and food assistance from him.

At the same time, the subdivision developer, Camilla Homes also donated construction materials, but these were turned over to the victims together with the ones he donated before ABS-CBN held a program in the area, he said.  

Distrito said he was informed by some staff of the SP that Camilla Homes wrote a letter denying the allegations that he had solicited construction materials from them and that the subdivision developer had also donated some construction materials to the 12 families in Brgy. 7.

He said Alejandrino was given time to file his answer to the formal charge issued to him on November 23, he also said he hopes the committee investigating the administrative complaint he filed against Alejandrino will finish the investigation in 60 days.

His prayer is that after formal investigation and if found guilty, Alejandrino should be dismissed from the service, he said.*CGS

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