MikeLigalig.com

By JUN RAMIREZ
Manila Bulletin

The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has suspended for six months without pay nine officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for allegedly paying a construction firm in 2005 even before funds were officially released.

In an 11-page decision signed by Ombudsman Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez, the respondents were identified as former regional director and now undersecretary Jaime Pacanan and former Director III Celso Lumaniog.

The two officials were originally penalized only with reprimand but Gutierrez modified the ruling of her subordinates and imposed the six-month suspension.

"The respondents are guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and meted out the penalty of six months suspension from the service without pay," Gutierrez ruled.

Also suspended for six months were engineers Baltazar Ausa, Francisco Venigas Jr., Cristina Buena and Eduardo Pellas, administrative officer Erda Gabriana, senior bookkeeper Maria Regina Verzosa, and special agent Tomas Fabillo Jr. from the DPWH office in Tacloban City.

Maayo gani suspension ra wala giterminate sa trabaho, mirisi