Mayor's Management Team staff accused of punching timecard of fellow worker

CEBU, Philippines - After the apprehension of a Cebu City Hall employee for illegally punching in the Daily Time Record card of her fellow city employee two weeks ago, another city government worker was also apprehended for allegedly committing the same violation that is punishable by dismissal from service.

Russel Fernitez of the Mayor’s Management Team (MMT) was caught last week by the members of the Civil Security Unit while allegedly punching the DTR card of fellow employee Chantele Decina.

City legal officer Joseph Bernaldez confirmed that he already received the apprehension report of the Civil Security Unit and he already forwarded this to the staff of Employee Management Committee head Marie Abella for further investigation.

Bernaldez rejected speculations that Abella might be biased in investigating the case involving Fernitez and Decina because Abella also used to be a member of the MMT before she passed the Bar exams.

“Dili na mahitabo. Kon mao na kami nga mga abogado nga nagtrabaho sa kagamhanan dili unta makonbikto sa Ombudsman kon makasala kay kauban man namo nga abogado ang nag-imbestigar,” Bernaldez said.

Abella told The FREEMAN that Fernitez has been ordered to submit his explanation of the incident in the form of an affidavit.

Both Fernitez and Decina are newly-recruited cum laude graduates and were assigned to Cebu City Medical Center to study how to improve the services of the hospital.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has assured that he will not protect any of the MMT members if proven that they committed an irregularity in the performance of their duties.

The Civil Service Commission has ruled that any government employee who will be found guilty of dishonesty will be dismissed from the active service even if it is his or her first offense.

Two weeks ago, city employee Glynis Alingasa, who is assigned to the City Engineering Department, was also apprehended for allegedly punching the DTR card of fellow employee June Nadine Sison.

Abella said the case of Alingasa was already submitted for resolution after the accused already appeared during a clarificatory hearing last Friday. – Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)