TACLOBAN CITY – The Office of Ombudsman found a former town mayor in Eastern Samar guilty for unlawfully dismissing three municipal employees. The ruling of the anti-graft court stemmed from the recommendation of the regional office of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to charge Conrado Nicart III, former mayor of San Policarpo town for violation of section 3(e) of Republic Act Number 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Said section sanctions a public officer or employee who, in the performance of his official duties, has acted with manifest partiality, evident bad faith or inexcusable negligence, causing undue injury to any party, including the government, or has given any party unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference. The complaint against Nicart, son of Governor Conrado Nicart and is now sitting as vice mayor, stemmed from his refusal to reinstate three municipal employees. Nicart dismissed civil registrar Virginia Acol, agricultural technician Diosdado Cidro and budgeting aide Anita Moscosa in 2012. Acol ran and lost for mayor during the 2016 elections. The three regular employees challenged their dismissal from their respective posts before the CSC which ruled on their favor. The CSC ruled that Nicart denied due process to the employees when they were dismissed from the service and dropped from the rolls in January 2012. The CSC had directed Nicart to reinstate the three employees which he did not follow. Nicart could not be reached for his comment on this recommendation by the CSC. (RYAN GABRIEL ARCENAS)
