• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Two supply officers and two storekeepers, assigned at the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) at Bacolod Government Center, have 72 hours to explain in writing why they should not be charged administratively for about 4,800 sacks of cement found hardened/unusable at the CEO warehouse in Barangay Taculing.
The show-cause order (SCO) dated Sept. 8 of Mayor Greg Gasataya, received yesterday morning, Sept. 9, by three of the four employees, is for neglect of duty/possible wastage of government property.
Gasataya ordered that the written explanations should be under oath, and include the chain of custody and timelines including dates of delivery/acceptance of the cement; records and documentation; storage conditions and controls; usage and disposition history; and causation and accountability.
Failure to submit the written explanation within 72 hours from receipt of the SCO “will be deemed a waiver of your right to be heard,” the mayor told the four employees, adding his office will then resolve the issue and take appropriate action under existing Civil Service rules without further notice.
Gasataya, in a press conference Sept. 8, said he will assign new personnel to the CEO Supply Section while investigations and a complete inventory of materials and city purchases are made.
He had also directed the CEO to submit a status report of all city projects it supervised and implemented, adding he received info that there are projects dating back 2022, or even earlier, that have yet to be completed.
The CEO takes charge of all local engineering works in the highly-urbanized city, including construction, improvement, repair and maintenance of public infrastructure, both vertical and horizontal, and facilities. | CGC
