CSC-8 orders Mayor Alfred to reinstate Butchoy Mate

TACLOBAN CITY-The Civil Service Commission (CSC) here in the region has directed Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city to reinstate “immediately” the head of the City General Services Office whom he relieved from his post early last year.

The directive of the CSC-8 through its director, Marilyn Taldo, ruled that the move of the city mayor relieving Rudolph “Butchoy” Mate from his post was contrary to existing civil service rules.

The CSC also ordered Romualdez to recall an office order he issued appointing Idelbrando Bernadas as head of the City General Services office.

“This Office finds the designation of Idelbrando C. Bernadas as not in order. Accordingly, Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez is hereby called upon to immediately recall Office Order No.11-01-011 designating Bernadas as officer-in-charge of the City General Services and to immediately restore Rudolph M. Mate to the same office as head thereof,” the CSC on its eight-page decision issued on May 29 of this year, said.

The Leyte Samar Daily Express obtained a photocopy of the said decision signed by Director Taldo.

Based on record of the case, Mayor Romualdez issued on January 3, 2011 Memorandum Order 01-022 directing Mate to relinquish his post he held since 2007 and hand all the powers and functions of said office to Bernadas who was then acting as an administrative officer working directly under the Office of the City Mayor.

In turn, Mayor Romualdez issued Office No.11-01-011 designating Bernadas as officer-in-charge of the City General Services Office, one of the biggest departments of the city hall.

Romualdez directed Mate to work under his office to conduct, among others, inventory of all real properties owned by the city government.

Romualdez, defending his move, claimed that he reassigned Mate for him to focus more to his designated tasks as per recommendation of the Commission on Audit.

But Mate questioned this order of the city mayor by filing his motion for reconsideration which was answered merely with “noted” by the mayor’s office.

September of last year, Mate elevated his case before the CSC which ruled in his favor.

“As can be inferred from Office Order No.11-01-001, Bernadas was designated as officer-in-charge of the City General Services. There is no indication or statement that he was to relinquish his duties as administrative officer V and exclusively hold office in the City General Services,” it said.

CSC added: “Designation, as a personal action, is essentially a management prerogative and is presumed to be regular and made in the interest of the public service unless proven otherwise. However, in the instant case, this Office cannot sustain such reasoning,” it added.

The CSC also noted that Mate was neither on leave nor on a special assignment which would prevent him from discharging the functions of his office. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

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