Ombudsman orders dismissal of 3 BFP executives for fake credentials

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday ordered the dismissal from the service of three ranking officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection for falsifying their school credentials.

Senior Superintendent Gil dela Paz Jacinto of the BFP National Capital Region; former Muntinlupa fire chief Superintendent Danilo Ortiz; and Pasig deputy fire chief, Chief Inspector Manuel Tembrevilla, are also being being barred from ever entering government service again.

Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni said the OMB has the power to dismiss public officials from the service who are found guilty of administrative offenses such as falsification of documents.

Records show that anonymous complaints were filed against the respondents who all claimed to have earned college degrees from different universities in order to enter government service. Jacinto was accused of falsifying his personal data sheet by stating that he is a Commerce graduate of the Manuel L. Quezon University. However, Registrar Gregorio del Valle Jr. certified that he was never a student of the school and even denied that the university gave him a special order as proof of his claim.

The OMB said Jacinto failed to present any corroborating evidence to dispute the accusation except a supposed special order which appears to be spurious. “His argument that it behooves upon the Registrar to determine the genuinness or authenticity of Special Order No. 5-4110 dated July 19, 1983 is of no moment and will not rectify the aggravating situation that indeed he was not a graduate of MLQU,” the dismissal order against him declared.

The anonymous complaint against Ortiz also accused him of falsifying his PDS by claiming to be a Management graduate and a Masters of Public Administration undergraduate of the Laguna Northwestern College. Registrar Milagros Malibay, however, belied his claims thereby proving that he committed grave misconduct by making an untruthful statement in an official document. As for Tembrevilla, an anonymous complaint was likewise lodged against him in relation to his claim that he is a graduate of the Ortañez University.

Investigation results show that no less than Director Pacidio Quiamboa Jr. of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) certified that the BFP official’s name does not appear in its records.   – Michael Punongbayan