Guv warns against abuse of gov’t vehicles

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson reminded employees of the provincial government not to misuse government-owned vehicles.

“When you took your oath as government employees, you promised not to abuse government properties,” the governor said on Monday when sought for his reaction by the media after another capitol employee was dismissed from service.

Engineer Jimbo Garsula joined the list of employees assigned to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist who have been dismissed from government service for grave misconduct.

Lacson approved Garsula’s dismissal upon recommendation by Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. for two counts of grave misconduct.

“It just sends the message that you know, if there is really a case against an individual we will go through an investigation,” Lacson stressed.

“I hope it will be taken by other gov’t employees seriously, that it is not worth abusing your position, it is not worth abusing the use of government vehicles beyond office hours.”

Earlier, Nellas said that Garsula was found guilty of misconduct for the misuse of a government vehicle and for uttering derogatory remarks at Mario Pequit, head of the Capitol Cab Service.

Garsula also meted the accessory penalties for cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, barred from taking civil service examinations, and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

Four of Garsula’s colleagues were also dismissed from the service for grave misconduct, in connection with the use of a government vehicle beyond office hours several months ago.

Just last month, Herminigildo Basilio, who was also assigned to OPA, was dismissed from service for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and malversation of public funds or property, in connection with the missing 789 bags of fertilizer worth P2.3 million from the Rice Processing Center in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City.

However, Basilio appealed his dismissal from government service before the Civil Service Commission, claiming that he was being made a scapegoat.

His colleague, Joy Cardinal, who is a job order employee and was implicated in the case of the missing fertilizer, was terminated from service by the provincial government of Negros Occidental more than two months ago.