Postal employees cleared of charges

CEBU, Philippines - For lack of merit, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has dismissed the administrative case filed against two employees of the Talamban Postal Office in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer Darius Sagadal found no evidence to hold respondents, postmaster Judelina del Mar and postal service assistant Galileo Peralta, guilty of neglect of duty and misconduct.

“This Office resolves to dismiss the instant complaint. Respondents’ justification has merit. Section 411 of the Philippine Postal Manual clearly proscribes the divulgence of information regarding mail matters to unauthorized persons,” the decision reads.

In his complaint filed on September 5, 2011, Venerando Ralf Santiago Jr. accused the respondents of refusing to grant his request in relation to a case filed against him by a certain Herbert Buot before the Ombudsman.

Santiago said that on August 17, 2011, he went to the Talamban Postal Office to request respondents to issue a certification that no letter was delivered from the Office of the Ombudsman in Agham Road, Quezon City to Buot, a resident of Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City.

However, the respondents allegedly refused to issue the certification.

In her reply, Del Mar admitted refusing to grant Santiago’s request because the Philippine Postal manual reportedly prohibits them from doing so.

“Section 411. Information regarding mail-postmasters and other postal employees shall not give out information to unauthorized persons regarding mail matter, amount of mail, the origin of mail, destination of mail, the contents of letters or parcels, etc. All such information that may be in the possession of postmasters and other postal employees shall be treated as absolutely confidential,” del Mar cites in her response.

Del Mar likewise, said the complainant was neither the sender nor the addressee of the mail. “He is, therefore, not entitled to the information requested,” she added.

Peralta failed to file his counter-affidavit and position paper.

Sagadal ruled in favor of the respondents.

“Therefore, respondents cannot be held administratively liable for not issuing the said certification,” the decision reads.

Sagadal added, “as can be gleaned from Section 411(3) of the same manual,” it stated that only the postmaster general has the authority to divulge such information upon the request of either parties.  (FREEMAN)