Sacked government official committed numerous administrative offenses

PIA Press Release
July 5, 2012

QUEZON CITY  –  Maynardo E. Valdez, the Information Center Manager of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) office in Nueva Ecija who was sacked after his superiors discovered him in Boracay while he should been at work, was actually found liable for numerous administrative offenses.

The 25-page decision penned by PIA Director-General Atty. Jose A. Fabia and posted on the PIA website (www.pia.gov.ph) is a consolidation of two cases containing seven administrative offenses Valdez was found guilty of. For the Boracay escapade, Valdez was adjudged guilty of grave misconduct.

Records also show that Valdez was charged with gross neglect of duty for his failure to submit issues and concerns prior to a presidential visit in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

“During a presidential visit, the PIA information officer is tasked to find and identify the issues and concerns in the ground level. Upon identification of such issues and concerns, the PIA information officer informs or alerts the concerned local authorities or cabinet secretaries/agency heads of such issues and concerns. Once identified, the issues and concerns are acted upon or ably addressed before reaching the President,” reads the decision.

“As respondent did not submit the issues and concerns of Nueva Ecija when the President visited Fort Magsaysay in April 2011, he committed a blatant breach of his duty,” the decision continued.

In another count of gross neglect of duty, Valdez was charged when he made only one article in 35 days when he is required to submit at least two articles and four situation reports daily and when he failed to submit weekly reports.

"When respondent did not meet his daily minimum output of news, he deprived the public of knowing the good news in Nueva Ecija and at the same time deprived the people of Nueva Ecija of a forum to showcase the good news in their locality," the decision said.

Valdez also did not submit a pre-survey result on the inaugural State of the Nation Address of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

“The survey relative to the 2010 SONA is equally significant as this unveils the pulse of the people to aid the newly-elected President in addressing the public’s needs and views in leading this country to prosperity through the “tuwid na daan,” adds the decision.

Relative to the Boracay escapade, Valdez was charged with dishonesty when he made it appear on his Daily Time Record (DTR) that he was on forced leave on the days he closed the PIA office while he was attending a high school reunion on the resort island.

“Clearly, the respondent committed dishonesty when he wrote the words forced leave on his DTR the fact being that he did not file any application for such forced leave. Such act by the respondent is tantamount to falsification,” the decision read.

Valdez was also charged with unauthorized absences and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.