NEGROS Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the complaint against Provincial Human Resource Management Office head Annabelle Palic has form and substance.
"The nature of the complaint is grave and we don't know the direction but the possible sanction is dismissal because it's a grave offense," Diaz said.
The Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees (Pace) has filed a formal administrative complaint against Palic on Tuesday, July 6, before the office of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson for alleged acts of oppression, prejudicial to public interest and grave abuse of discretion.
"The complaint as what I see has form and substance and so it constitutes a valid complaint. I think the governor has the prerogative to require Palic to file her formal counter-affidavit to the allegations that are stated in the complaint of Pace," Diaz said.
"Let's see the wisdom of the governor on the matter. We will just wait," Diaz added.
He also said that because the complaint has its form and substance and that the complainants have sworn statements taken before the fiscal, there is no more need to serve a show-cause order and it will directly go to the Provincial Legal Office for proceedings and the governor will decide if it will be given due course.
"We will let her answer and then it will be assessed if it needs suspension and the case will continue with the investigation until the presentation of evidence will be terminated," Diaz said.
Renelo Lastierre, Pace president, said the filing of complaints against Palic was made after the Union's Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution, which is also supplemented by the petition signed by 694 employees of the Provincial Government.
Lastierre said the complaint stemmed from accusations of some aggrieved Capitol employees, including those who already retired from government service, against her.
"We believe that her continued existence in the Provincial Government will be prejudicial to the interest of the Provincial Government, and will do more harm to the administration of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson," Lastierre said.
He added that the morale of Capitol employees will be uplifted if their complaints are given due considerations.
"The entire workforce believes that the character and attitude of Palic is never fit to be part of public service, or as a public servant, because she never had the heart and compassion for workers of this Province, and she had continuously displayed such arrogance to workers plight, which affects the productivity and working environment in this Province," said the Pace in its approved resolution.
Palic has been reassigned to the Negros First Cyber Centre since last year.
She could not be reached for comment as of Wednesday, July 7.
