Stop constructive dismissal

 

By Leonardo Micua

 

IN this issue is an article about an employee holding a second-level position in the Dagupan City government who resisted his reassignment to the Waste Management Division and got the justice that he deserves from the Civil Service Commission. This should encourage others placed in a similar situation to have the courage to also fight for their rights that were wronged by the new administration.

We know that there were many others that were dealt the same way as Julius Alcaide, an Administrative Officer III (Cashier II) of the city treasurer’s office. Some, who were not able to find a “padrino” in the new administration, had to resign and abruptly ended their careers in government because they could not endure the harassment, meant to make them resign.

Recall an item we wrote here some time ago about a lady department head who was forced to resign when the new boss reassigned her to the market as an inspector of the graveyard shift, which was inconsistent with her duties and responsibilities.  She was forced to hand over her resignation paper as she considered her reassignment a big insult to her dignity, professional upbringing, and her right as a person. This proves that Julius was not the only victim of “constructive dismissal”, which is clearly against civil service rules.

Proudly, in our lengthy service in government as a career service professional, we can humbly claim that we served under seven sitting presidents of the Philippines (from Marcos to Duterte), nothing of that sort happened to us.

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From where we sat, a few hours before our press work, we heard on radio that the World Health Organization (WHO) is about to declare a pandemic for the COVID-19 that already killed to date 2,858 persons and infected 83,362 others all over the world.

What does this mean? Without being construed to be creating panic, it means the spread of the coronavirus that originated from Wuhan City, China in late December of 2019 has accelerated its pace and could no longer be contained simply by current clinical protocols in use.

If WHO finally acknowledges the situation as pandemic, it means COVID-19 has become a full-blown disease spread in all continents in the world. And all countries must be prepared to protect their own citizens.     

This puts the poorest countries in greater risks since they lack resources to fend off against the disease.    

If the lady vice president of Iran (and perhaps the president, too) has contracted the virus, it means that the COVID-19 would not spare those in higher status with all the resources in life. Whether one is poor, or rich, everyone is susceptible to the virus if they become complacent and neglect their needed health care. 

The situation has become so grave that even postponing the Olympics in Japan is being considered.

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At home, we can expect more crowd-drawing events to be postponed or canceled because of the impending declaration of a pandemic disease. The Region 1 Athletic Association (R!AA) meet will proceed on its final schedule after (two postponements) on April 13 to 20 but obviously on a much smaller scale, according to Ms. Marife Acerit, the events focal person of the provincial government.

The Pangasinan Day on April 5, as well as the Pista’y Dayat on May 1, will still be held but the activities that used to accompany these two major events were “toned down”, said Malu Elduayan, provincial tourism, and cultural affairs officer of Pangasinan.

Even the search for “Limgas na Dayat”, which Willie Lomibao and Cesar Ramirez never failed to regale us with their photo shoots of the lovely contestants was canceled since it will again certainly draw a packed crowd.

In Dagupan, the word is that there is no turning back for the Bangus Festival, whose main feature “Kalutan ed Dalan” will be transferred back to where it originated–along A.B. Fernandez Avenue, despite the serious threat posed by the coronavirus.

To date, city hall men are about to propose to the SP for the temporary closure of Galvan and Zamora streets to pave the way for baratillo and food strip which means that for now, only God can stop the Bangus Festival. Not even COVID-19 can do it.

 

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