Social welfare officer on suspension
CITY Social Welfare Officer Elsa Santillan is on preventive suspension for 60 days effective September 9.
City Administrator Vladimir Mata clarified that the suspension is not a punishment but a matter of course to prevent her from unduly influencing an ongoing investigation on charges she is facing.
Santillan is charged administratively for dishonesty, grave misconduct and serious neglect in the performance of duty.
A preliminary hearing on the case was conducted September 24 and a full-blown hearing is scheduled on the 28th.
The case involves the alleged storage of expired noodles, originally intended for distribution to typhoon victims, by Santillan’s office and charging rent from the small eatery and sari-sari store inside the premises of the CSWD office.
Three witnesses executed affidavits on the issue of expired noodles and illegal charging of rent.
RECANT
However, Santillan’s counsel, Atty. Teodora Cerdan, said witnesses have already recanted and claim that they were persuaded by Mata to sign the testimony against Santillan.
Santillan, through Cerdan, has filed a motion asking Mata to inhibit himself from the investigation because of his alleged participation in swaying witnesses.
The affidavits of recantation by the witnesses, which were used as basis for the motion for inhibition, state that it was Mata who convinced them to sign their affidavit against Mata, the contents of which were allegedly different from what they stated.
Mata denied the motion for inhibition during the pre-trial conference last September 23.
“We are a bit surprised by his refusal. This might be a case wherein Mata is a prosecutor and judge at the same time,” Cerdan said.
“I hope he reconsiders his stand to avoid questions on the impartiality of the body,” he added.
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