Court worker fired over false eligibility

Making false declaration in her data file that she passed the civil service professional examination resulted in the dismissal of a woman from her employment with the Regional Trial Court, and forfeiture of any of her retirement benefits.

The Supreme Court also barred Tessie Quires from working with the government despite her admission to the offense and her letter of apology sent to the court's investigating justice.

The Supreme Court en banc, in its recent decision on the case, said a false claim of eligibility, to get a permanent position in government, constitutes falsification of a document.

Quires was first hired on January 2, 2000 as a contractual employee of RTC in Quezon City. She later applied for permanent status by stating in her personal data file that she took the Civil Service professional examination on October 10, 2001 and passed with a rating of 82 percent.

Despite having a personal knowledge that her eligibility was false, Quires still went to the CSC office in Diliman requesting for the authentication of her career service professional certificate.

But her request for authentication was disapproved after the CSC found out that her name was not in the master list of those that either passed or failed the examination on the date she claimed she took it.

This also prompted CSC Commissioner Waldemar Valmores to inform former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. that Quires used spurious certificate of eligibility when she applied for a job with the RTC.

Soon after the Supreme Court ordered an investigation on the matter, Quires did not report to her job anymore but sent a letter to investigating justice Romulo Quimbo.

"Hinihingi ko po ang inyong kapatawaran at pag-unawa sa darating na panahon," she pleaded with the Supreme Court. - Rene U. Borromeo