Postman sacked for dishonesty

CEBU, Philippines - An employee of the Philippine Postal Corporation was dismissed from the service after he was found guilty of serious dishonesty.

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas found Allan Saavedra guilty of the administrative case for serious dishonesty after he failed to deliver in 2011 a reimbursement check from PhilHealth amounting to over P9,000.

Saavedra who was then assigned at the San Fernando Post Office as an emergency laborer was entrusted to deliver the PhilHealth check to Alfredo Bernabe in Sangat, San Fernando. The check amounting to P9,628.91 was a reimbursement of the hospital bills paid by Bernabe when he suffered from heart attack in January 2011.

Bernabe’s sister, Miguela Davis, filed the complaint against Saavedra. The complainants said she went to PhilHealth to follow up the reimbursement of her brother’s hospital bills but was told that the check was already sent through a registered mail on March 29, 2011.

Sometimes in May 2011 a benefit notice from PhilHealth was delivered to Bernabe’s residence in Sangat but no check was inside. Davis said she learned that it was Saavedra who delivered the notice.

Davis said that Saavedra stole the check by forging Bernabe’s signature on the dorsal portion of the check.

Saavedra claimed that before he delivered the notice, a certain Joseph Bernabe who claimed to be the addressee’s nephew came to his office and requested if he could have the check cashed because his uncle is allegedly too old to claim it.

Saavedra said he obliged to Joseph’s request and endorsed the check to his friend who rediscounted it.

But graft investigator Jane Aguilar found the respondent’s reason ridiculous.

“Since Saavedra gravely abused his authority in order to commit the dishonest act and employed fraud in enchasing the check, his administrative liability constitutes serious dishonesty,” the decision read.

Aguilar meted Saavedra the maximum penalty of dismissal from service with accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and cancellation of his eligibility and forfeiture of retirement benefits.— (FREEMAN)