Two capitol execs suspended

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson meted a 60-day suspension each against two department heads of the provincial government.

The suspension took effect Monday based on a memorandum issued by Lacson on June 6, 2020.

The suspended officials were Provincial Budget Officer Jose Percival Salado and Ellen Jalandoni, manager of the capitol-owned and operated Mambukal Mountain Resort.

Salado was ordered suspended for an administrative offense of gross neglect of duty, Lacson said in his memo.

Salado’s suspension is to his alleged failure as budget officer to carefully study and evaluate the creation of new positions by the province in its annual budget for fiscal years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019,

The oversight led to higher excess in the personal services (PS) cap allowance from P106,134,890.46 in 2015 to P595,224,524.03 in 2019 and leading to the disallowance of the said amount in 2019 and prohibition on Province of Negros Occidental to provide for additional PS items until such time that the PS cap is observed.”

Salado confirmed that he had received the suspension order on Monday. He said he received a show cause order in March to answer the charges.

He claimed that the works is not part of his function because it is the job of the Provincial Board, which tells them about the plantilla and salary for every position.

He added that he will follow the investigation procedures.

Jalandoni was also slapped with a 60-day suspension, but for a different administrative charge.