Masbate principal axed for allowing cockfights

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman ordered yesterday the immediate dismissal of a Masbate school principal from the government service for allowing cockfights in the school’s premises, among other alleged anomalies.  

The Ombudsman is also expected to file misconduct charges against Ricardo Marfiga, principal of the Masbate National Comprehensive High School.

Graft investigators discovered that Marfiga has also been collecting unauthorized fees from students, as concerned parents alleged in their complaints against him.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said Marfiga himself admitted “some of the alleged acts such as the collection and imposition of fees and having allowed cockfighting inside the campus.” 

The complainants’ evidence and the principal’s admission “are sufficient as constituting substantial evidence,” she said in a two-page resolution.

Parents said Marfiga allegedly collected fees for the use of computers and sold items that were usually given free to students like test papers.

He also allegedly imposed arbitrary fines for late enrollees and latecomers in violation of Department of Education policies.

Parents said he even used the services of the school driver to fetch his wife and children to and from office and school.

Worse, they said, Marfiga allegedly allowed cockfighting and taking bets inside the campus, a violation of anti-illegal gambling laws.

In another case, the Ombudsman yesterday ordered the filing of graft charges before the Sandiganbayan against the president of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) over unliquidated cash advances amounting to more than P500,000 made five years ago. 

The case against WMSU president Eldigario Gonzales stemmed from an audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) of an educational study conducted in 2004. 

Auditors learned that Gonzales failed to liquidate cash advances amounting to P555,778.90 for the WMSU project.

In a 16-page order, Gutierrez said the records of the case “are replete with pieces of evidence more than sufficient to support a finding of probable cause” against Gonzales.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman also ordered the filing of charges of acts of lasciviousness against Manuel Rebollos, principal of the Manicahan National High School in Zamboanga City, based on the complaint of a female teacher.

Gutierrez also placed under preventive suspension Wilma Padama and Noel Caballes, principal and physics teacher, respectively, of the Burgos National High School in Pangasinan.

The two have been charged with grave misconduct after a 16-year-old male student accused Caballes of sexually abusing him and Padama of covering up the incident.