By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday said the transfer of a key provincial government official to the Office of the Governor was approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Lacson showed to reporters the copy of the Comelec approval after news came out Thursday that Provincial Planning and Development Officer, Dr. Marlin Sanogal has filed a complaint against him and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz with the Comelec for alleged violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
Sanogal filed the complaint before the Comelec Law Department on April 5, 2022, and a separate complaint was filed before the Civil Service Commission on April 1, 2022.
The governor said that “usually if there are cases involving government employees, I don’t take it up in public but in this case since I am the target of the respondent, I think I have to.”
Lacson said that last Nov 15, 2021, Sanogal wrote a letter addressed to him through Diaz informing him that four personnel of the PPDO are set to retire in 2022 including herself.
The letter added that Sanogal requested that their terminal leave and retirement benefits will be included in the 2022 budget.
“Naniguro sila,” Lacson said.
He further said that as part of the smooth transition in the provincial government, Diaz had a talk with Sanogal which lasted for three hours.
Sanogal in her complaint claimed that on March 15, 2022 which is within the prohibition period Lacson and Diaz caused the issuance of Office Order no. 03-15-0104 series of 2022 reassigning her to the Office of the Governor to attend to special administrative concerns effective immediately.
She further said that on March 15, 2022, both capitol officials caused the issuance of the Office Order 03-15-0105 designating Anna Marie Lucasan, PPDO officer-in-charge effective immediately.
Sanogal also filed a complaint for alleged constructive dismissal against the governor.
She said she has not reported to her assigned station, the Office of the Governor as she feels “demeaned and humiliated with the whimsical act of Lacson in assigning her – a department head performing management and technical functions – to perform the medial task of attending to the “special administrative concerns of the office.”
Sanogal said it is tantamount to putting her on “floating status.”
On his part, Diaz said that Sanogal betrayed their agreement.
He said she was transferred to the Office of the Governor so she could prepare her papers and complete the requirements for her retirement and she agreed to the arrangement.
Diaz further said that Sanogal has indicated that she was retiring in October and the agreement was that she would receive the same compensation in the period leading to the date.
He also stressed that “it is necessary that the PPDO is immediately headed by someone who could stay for three more years to carry out the three-year development plan of the provincial government.”
