• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Citing no evidence presented to controvert the initial findings, the Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office denied the motion for reconsideration (MR) on the six-month suspension of provincial tourism officer Cheryl Decena and two other provincial government employees.
Decena said they already filed an appeal before the Civil Service Commission.
Along with April Love Wee and Ester Ignacio, both assigned at the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary, Decena have been suspended without pay for simple neglect of duty related to irregularities and delays in the remittance of cash advances, resulting in mismanagement and a P3.5-million loss in 2023.
The three filed a motion for reconsideration, citing violations of their constitutional right to due process since they were charged under the 2017 Revised Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS), but penalized under the 2025 RACCS.
“Based on what was submitted, there is no evidence presented to controvert the initial findings, so we denied the MR. It’s up to the respondents to file an appeal before the Civil Service Commission (CSC),” Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said on Wednesday.
Nellas said the suspended employees will return to work in April, after their suspension took effect in October last year. | GB
