Bukidnon Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. filed on Friday a motion for reconsideration of the six-month suspension meted out to him by the Office of the Ombudsman in Manila, itwas learned at a press conference at the Bukidnon provincial office in Malaybalay City on Thursday.
The suspension order stemmed from the case filed by former provincial government employee Carlos Ycaro, who retired in 2014.
The graft court suspended Zubiri for “grave abuse of authority amounting to oppression and violation of Section 5(a) of the ethical standards for public officials and employees (RA 6713).”
The office of the governor received the suspension order on September 20. He was given until next week to submit his motion.
The motion he filed Friday stated: “[T]he findings that respondent Zubiri, Jr. refused to approve the clearance and terminal leave application of the complainant is incorrect and has no legal and factual basis.”
He chided the Office of the Ombudsman for suspending the wrong governor because at the time Ycaro submitted his documents, the provincial chief executive was Alex Calingasan.
In his motion, Zubiri said Ycaro’s papers were not signed because he failed to account for some P11.26 million of provincial properties including chairs and equipment.
It said Zubiri’s name was “merely superimposed on the clearance and application for terminal leave of the complainant [Ycaro] despite the fact that he was not a signatory thereto.”
During a hearing at the regional trial court in Bukidnon for the same case last month, Ycaro reportedly admitted it was Calingasan who superimposed Zubiri’s name on the document.
Besides, the motion said, Ycaro’s papers should have been signed by the various department heads such as the human resource management, general services and the budget office before the governor can sign it.
Also, the motion said, Ycaro did not comply with all the requirements for the approval of his leave application.
These requirements include clearance from all accountability, a copy of his leave card, the approved leave application, the complete service record, the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, a photocopy of his appointment and a notice of salary adjustment.