BACOLOD City – The Tourism Officer of Negros Occidental, along with four other provincial government employees, plans to file a motion for reconsideration (MR) following their six-month suspension without pay.
Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena, together with four disbursement officers, was ordered suspended by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for simple neglect of duty during her tenure as Officer-in-Charge of the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary.
Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. said the employees were found administratively liable over cash advances, which allegedly led to a P3.5 million loss at Mambukal Resort for the year 2023.
In a statement to the media, Decena said they would contest the ruling.
“We will be filing a motion for reconsideration, and we hope that Governor Lacson will have an impartial legal team revisit the case, review all the documents, and exonerate us,” she said.
Decena claimed there appears to be a pattern of harassment within the provincial government targeting long-serving employees, some of whom have been allegedly forced to resign or subjected to unjust penalties.
“This begs the question—why?” she asked.
She described the six-month suspension imposed on her and the former disbursement officers as “unwarranted,” asserting that the allegations were disproved by records.
According to Decena, the accusations—failure to submit liquidation reports on time and incurring losses at Mambukal Resort—were unsupported. She cited documents showing that liquidation reports were submitted within the deadline and that the resort even reported an initial income of P9 million.
Governor Lacson, meanwhile, said he has yet to receive a copy of the motion for reconsideration. He emphasized that the employees may elevate the case to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) if they wish to appeal.
“All cases involving provincial government employees go through due process from the very start. Decisions are made based on the findings, and there was no harassment intended,” Lacson said.
Atty. Nellas added that the suspended employees will be allowed to return to work after serving their suspension.
The 6-month suspension took effect on October 21 after the order was formally served to the concerned personnel./PN
