CSC junks motion asking for Cuevas’ suspension

CEBU, Philippines - The Civil Service Commission has denied the motion filed by former mayor and congressman Tomas Osmeña to place Cebu City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas under preventive suspension, saying it is “premature.”

“The instant motion is hereby denied for being premature,” read the November 11 resolution signed by CSC director Karin Litz Zerna.

Cuevas was elated after receiving the resolution of CSC last December 11.

In the resolution, Zerna cited the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the civil service which state that the disciplining authority may issue an order of preventive suspension “upon service of the formal charge or notice of charge/s, or immediately thereafter to any subordinate officer or employee under his/her authority pending an investigation subject to the conditions.”

Zerna said CSC is still conducting an investigation into the complaint filed by Osmeña against Cuevas.

“In the interim, a preliminary investigation is still undertaken to determine whether a prima facie case exists to warrant the issuance of a formal charge,” Zerna said in the resolution.

Last year, Osmeña filed 39 administrative complaints against Cuevas and city accountant Mark Salomon.  Of the total number of complaints filed, 27 were filed before the Department of Finance while the other 12 were filed before the CSC-7.

All complaints stemmed from COA’s “adverse opinions” in 2013 on Cebu City’s operations and transactions in 2012. 

Sought for comment, Osmeña said, “I will just accept it just like Rama (Mayor Michael Rama) accepted his suspension. It’s a good trade-off.”

Rama has been preventively suspended by the Office of the President for 60 days pending the investigation of the administrative complaint filed by Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia after the city demolished a center island structure in his barangay.

Cuevas, for her part, said she was confident that the CSC would deny the petition of Osmeña to place her under suspension because she was informed by her lawyers that all audit observation memorandum of the COA can be corrected.

“Nag anam-anam nata og correct, but it is not easy. We cannot correct that overnight. It started from his (Osmeña’s) time pa baya. Mga balances nga wala pa nagka-reconcile. Dili mi makahimo dayon ana,” she said.  She said the DOF has concluded its investigation while the CSC still asked for comment from COA on the merits and substance of the complaint.

“Kuyawan ko kay naigo gani si mayor nga mayor pa. Pagka-suspenso sa mayor, gikahadlokan sa akong anak nga basin ako ang sunod. But, wala man g’yod niingon ang COA nga I committed malversation, graft and corruption. It’s all about correcting the books,” she added.  (FREEMAN)