Daily Tribune (Philippines)

Taguig DepEd head answers graft charges

- Alvin Murcia AL PADILLA

An Education official strongly condemned as harassment the cases filed against him at the Ombudsman, while denouncing the complainan­ts for spreading stories about the said cases on social media.

Dr. George Tizon, chief Education Supervisor for School Operations and Governance Division (SGOD), in a statement over the weekend branded as “dirty tactics” the charges made by Department of Education Taguig City and Pateros (DepEd-TAPAT) officials.

He added they were made in retaliatio­n for the series of suspension­s and dismissals from the service that the group is receiving due to several graft and corruption cases filed against them in the Ombudsman by their co-teachers, principals and supervisor­s.

“These corrupt supervisor­s have an axe to grind against me due to the series of subpoenas, suspension orders and orders of dismissal from the service they received from the Department of Education and the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged graft and corruption complaints filed by their victims, and they put the blame on me since I am an anti-corruption advocate in DepEd-TAPAT and was responsibl­e for the dismissal from the service of several corrupt personnel in the past,” Tizon said.

DepEd-TAPAT officials and employees filed three separate complaints of graft, serious misconduct, dishonesty and conduct unbecoming of a public official and employee before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The complaints were filed by Nestor Ramos, Bernadeth Bautista, Ma. Leny Manaoat, Salome Castro, librarian Joseph

Son and Irma San Pedro.

Tizon shared documents from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Education revealing the suspension orders and dismissals from the service of the Curriculum Implementa­tion Division supervisor­s for being guilty of dishonesty, graft and corruption and violation of the Code of Ethical Standards of a Government Employees.

He said records show Bautista is presently serving a three-month suspension imposed by DepEd for being found guilty of conduct prejudicia­l to the best interest of the service and is facing dismissal for compelling public schools to patronize her catering business.

On the other hand, he said Castro is facing dismissal from the service due to an ongoing case at the Ombudsman for graft and corruption.

Likewise, he shared that San Pedro faces dismissal for usurpation of authority in the local school board of Pateros to earn kickbacks from financial transactio­ns under the Special Education Fund.

Meanwhile, Ramos was forced to retire despite three more years from service due to evidence of electionee­ring in the 2019 elections and when a former student accused him of molestatio­n and sexual harassment, Tizon added.

Others are facing misdemeano­r complaints such as Manaoat who was charged for violation of Republic Act 3019, he added.

“These are all facts and not mere allegation­s, records can be verified and validated unlike the allegation­s hurled against me which are all fabricated and nothing but a figment of their imaginatio­n meant to embarrass me the way their reputation­s were destroyed by their anomalous deeds. As an anti-corruption advocate, I see to it that I comply with the law and carefully abide by the provision of ethical standards of public employees. I continue to rid our office of corrupt and greedy DepEd officials pursuant to President Duterte’s call to fight graft and corruption. I believe in the Ombudsman, and I know that they will not allow these corrupt supervisor­s to mock the Office of the Ombudsman,” he closed.

As an anti-corruption advocate, I see to it that I comply with the law and carefully abide by the provision of ethical standards of public employees.

 ??  ?? PRICE of kerosene is expected to go up by P0.50/liter on Tuesday.
PRICE of kerosene is expected to go up by P0.50/liter on Tuesday.

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