• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Office of the Building Official (OBO) engineer Isidro Sun Jr. has been placed on a 90-day preventive suspension by Mayor Greg Gasataya, as charges for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty, among others, have been lodged against him.
Gasataya said his office found “prima facie evidence to hold (Sun) administratively liable” and formally charge him for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and for violation of Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business Act.
These charges stemmed from Sun’s alleged monetary demand of P13,000, and later receipt of P11,000, in exchange for the release of a Certificate of Occupancy; and for instructing an OBO employee to approve and clear an application in the OBO system without a certificate of occupancy and outside the official workflow, thereby falsifying the veracity of the clearance, both in June this year.
“You solicited money to expedite a frontline service, and employed shortcuts/circumvented the prescribed procedures…thereby engaging in fixing activities. Your acts undermined public trust, impaired the integrity of the OBO and city government, and exposed the city to potential legal liability,” Gasataya told Sun in the formal charge with preventive suspension dated Aug. 11, and confirmed by City Legal Officer, Atty. Karol Joseph Chiu, in a media interview Sept. 3.
Sun, who had denied the allegations hurled against him, was directed by Gasataya to stop reporting for duty, surrender all official documents/property under his custody, and to not enter the OBO premises, while the charges are being heard. | CGC
