The Department of Interior and Local Government has scheduled a preliminary conference and formal investigation of the administrative case filed by a City Hall employee against Mayor Evelio Leonardia on July 16 and 17 at the DILG-Bacolod Office at the City Health Compound in Bacolod City.

Ma. Teresa Lozada had filed an administrative case against the mayor involving her re-assignment from the City Population Office to the General Services Office-Handumanan Public Cemetery.

Leonardia, who is represented by City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, had earlier, filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that there was no oppression, abuse of authority and bad faith in the re-designation of Lozada to another office.

Bayatan said the Civil Service Commission decision even recognized the prerogative of the mayor to reassign employees.

The CSC only said that since there was already the lapse of one year where the case has outlived the period of re-designation, then the complainant should as well be returned to her original position, which the city had complied, he said.

Bayatan said the mayor had already restored Lozada to her original designation on May 16, 2012 even before they received the CSC decision granting their motion to withdraw the motion for reconsideration they had filed, which in effect shows their compliance to the CSC decision.

He said Lozada, however, filed the same complaint before the CSC and the Office of the President which deputized the DILG to conduct the investigation.*CGS

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