Councilors Rolly Macalino, BJ Lagman, Cristina Lagman, Renato Agustin, Ariel Carreon, and Reden Halili show copies of the city council’s complaint affidavit at the CSC-Pampanga Office. Contributed photo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Administrative charges have been filed by the city council here before the Civil Service Commission-Pampanga Office against the city accountant whom it earlier declared “persona non grata” for her alleged defamation of the local legislative body and its members.
The city council sought the preventive suspension of city accountant Maria Gisel P. Rivera for ““grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a public officer, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service, grave abuse of authority, violation of the Local Government Code and gross ignorance of the law” in the complaint it filed on May 14.
The charges were those contained in Resolution No. 2020-103, unanimously approved on May 4, accusing Rivera of allegedly defaming and besmirching their reputation when, on April 28, she “feloniously uttered in a very loud, malicious and scandalous manner, in front of city employees…’PUTA NAY DANA RENG ANAK PUTANG KONSEHAL A REN. ANIMAL LANG TALAGA. ALI DE INAPRUBAHAN IN SUPPLEMENTAL NO. 3 PURO YANG COVID ITA, NANUNG BURI DANG MALYARI?’” (Printed as it appeared in the resolution).
And upon seeing Janyn Carreon, a daughter of councilor Ariel C. Carreon employed in her department, Rivera allegedly “confronted her anduttered – AGYANG ANAK KA PANG KONSEHAL, ANAK PUTA LANG TALAGA.” (Again, printed as it appeared in the resolution.)
The complaint sheet also said that the city accountant’s duty was limited to “taking charge of accounting and internal audit services…apprise the [SP] on the financial conditions and operations of the city and certify allotments…it is not her duty to undermine the decision of the Sanggunian in approving an appropriation ordinance pending before it.”
Rivera’s “outbursts” were seen by the council as her “extreme reaction” to the SP’s twice non-inclusion in the “order of business” during sessions of the proposed Supplemental Budget No. 3 that Mayor Edwin Santiago conveyed to the council.
The council said “respondent’s defamatory statementsagainst all members of the Legislative Body of the city government have adversely affected the independence of the decision-making and integrity of these duly elected officials.”
“Respondent’s malicious utterances caused sleepless nights, mental anguish, wounded feelings, moral and social embarrassment, defame and besmirch the reputation to the office of the [SP], its members and families Further, such utterances also caused the [SP]to be defamed and its reputation to be besmirched,” the charge sheet also noted.
The council said the charges against Rivera are “veryserious as they affect not only the very foundation of the institution which she holds but also the [SP], her acts “constitute grave misconduct which warrant removal/suspension from office.”
Citing the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, particularly Section 4, that all public officials and employees should “at all times respect the rights of others, and shall refrain from doing acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest,”the council said Rivera’s “conduct qualifies as one that is unbecoming of a government employee as she deviated from the rules of social behavior and ethical practices; further she exhibited conduct that caused the destruction of public respect.”
On grave abuse of authority, the council said Rivera “used her office to inflict injury to others and undermines the decision of the [SP] in the approval of SB No.3”
