GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 August) – The provincial government of South Cotabato has launched a deeper investigation into the alleged selling by several unscrupulous employees of fuel supplies purchased by the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO).
Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said they are currently looking into the masterminds and employees who are involved in the illegal activity, which was reportedly going on for some time at the PEO.
He said they uncovered the fraudulent practice in an operation conducted by a team from the local government’s motorpool on Thursday last week in Norala town.
The governor said one of his “trusted persons” personally witnessed several employees assigned at a project in Norala selling six containers of fuel.
He did not identify those involved but cited that they include workers who are under regular or permanent plantilla status and job order contracts.
“For the involved job order workers, you will be dismissed outright. For the regular, we will find an assignment for you in Ned,” Tamayo said.
He was referring to Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu town, one of the remotest barangays in the province.
Tamayo said the erring employees cannot deny the illegal activity as the provincial government has witnesses to prove it.
He said he had been aware of such activity beforehand and even warned PEO employees about it in a recent visit at their office in Koronadal City.
“I want to know how they are actually doing it and who are those leading them,” Tamayo said.
The governor warned that the local government will not tolerate any illegal activity under his administration.
He said his office has commissioned at least 60 community organizers to establish core groups composed of seven to 15 individuals at the purok level in the province.
“So it’s impossible for these kind of anomalies in the field to not reach me,” he added. (MindaNews)