2 POEA officials face administrative case

MANILA, Philippines -  Two officials of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and a contractual employee face administrative charges and possible dismissal from service for unauthorized processing of job orders overseas.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday ordered the filing of a formal administrative case against officers Ma. Flor Torres and Florenda Ramos, and contractual employee Bernardo Pablo Jr.

The three were suspended from employment without pay for 90 days pending the resolution of their case before the Civil Service Commission.

Baldoz said the three committed gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct when they processed the documents of prospective overseas workers through the Balik-Manggagawa Processing Center (BMPC).

“Upon evaluation of the records and other supporting documents, it appears that a prima facie case exists to formally charge the three with gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct for the unauthorized processing of workers at the BMPC,” Baldoz said.

She said the applicants processed by the three do not qualify as a “balik-manggagawa” or a worker returning to the same foreign employer.

In November 2009, it was found that the three processed the documents of eight entertainers bound for Korea for the first time.

There were also reports that they were also involved in the unauthorized processing of documents of 14 workers last year.

“The filing of charges against the POEA officers and employee serves notice that the Labor department will not tolerate graft in all its forms in the department and its agencies,” Baldoz said.– With Pia Lee-Brago