Barili employee scolded for discourteous behavior

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has reprimanded a municipal employee of Barili after having been found guilty of discourtesy for embarrassing a municipal official in front of the mayor.

Anthony Buenavista, an administrative aide, was reprimanded by the anti-graft office and sternly warned that a repetition of the same act will be dealt with more severely.

Geronimo Basalo, municipal planning and development officer of Barili town, filed a complaint against Buenavista after the latter allegedly mauled him in January 11, 2008.

Basalo alleged that while he was talking to Mayor Teresito Mariñas and municipal assessor Edward Barolo the respondent appeared and mauled him causing injuries that required medical treatment for a period of three to four days.

Buenavista denied that charges claiming that on that day he called the complainant, who was the deputized civil defense coordinator, to inquire regarding the use of vehicles because of flooding in the municipality.

Buenavista said he could not get through to Basalo’s mobile and deployed the drivers himself to evacuate the residents affected by the flooding because there was already a report of one child casualty.

According to Buenavista, at about 5 p.m. he received instructions from the mayor to deploy the drivers for the evacuation of the affected residents.

Since he already started deploying, Buenavista said he just continued monitoring the operation. Buenavista said when he went near the mayor, who was talking with the complainant, he told the mayor that the people were already evacuated. Buenavista said before he left he tapped the shoulder of Basalo and confronted him in a sarcastic tone asking: “What have you done in this incident?”

The anti-graft office also ruled that Basalo, apparently because of embarrassment, exaggerated his complaint by alleging he was mauled.   According to the Ombudsman, there was no evidence to support Basalo’s claim.

Nevertheless, the anti-graft office said it was also “discourtesy” on the part of Buenavista to embarrass Basalo in front of the mayor and thus he was reprimanded. — Fred P. Languido/BRP (THE FREEMAN)