SC KINAMPIHAN ANG CA, SANDIGANBAYAN AT OMBUDSMAN; PERPETUAL DISQUALIFICATION VS PICHAY NAKAAMBA

NAGLABAS ang Supreme Court (SC) First Division ng resolusyon na nagbabasura sa consolidated petitions na inihain ni Surigao del Sur 1st Dist. Rep. Prospero Pichay kung saan kinatigan din ng high tribunal ang parusang ‘dismissal from service’ na katumbas ng ‘perpetual disqualification to hold any position in government’ na ipinataw laban sa mambabatas.

Sa 40-page resolution ng naturang SC division, na may petsang November 11, 2021 at nito lamang January 14, 2022 nai-upload sa official website nito, pinawalang-saysay nito ang hirit ni Pichay na isantabi ang mga naunang desisyon ng Court of Appeals (CA), Sandiganbayan at ng Office of the Ombudsman na hindi pumapabor sa kanya.

Base sa court records, ang Office of the Ombudsman ang unang nag-isyu ng desisyon kung saan napanatunayan nitong guilty si Pichay at dalawang iba pang mataas na opisyal ng Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) sa kasong misconduct at inutos ang ‘dismissal from service’ sa mga ito noong July 4, 2011. Ang tatlo ay naghain naman ng kani-kanilang Motions for Reconsideration subalit binalewala ng una noong August 1, 2011.

Sumunod nito ay dumalog naman si Pichay sa CA sa paghahain ng Petition for Review noong November 13, 2012 at iginiit na ang kanyang right to due process ay nalabag at maging ang pagpapataw sa kanya ng parusang dismissal from service ay iginiit niyang hindi naaayon sa Administrative Order No. 59.

“In its Decision dated October 23, 2013, the CA denied the petition of Pichay, thereby affirming the Ombudsman’s finding of grave misconduct, and his dismissal from service. The CA agreed with the findings of the Office of the Ombudsman, and likewise held that no violation of due process occurred as Pichay was given the opportunity to answer and argue against the accusations raised against him. Pichay filed a motion for reconsideration, which was denied in a Resolution dated February 24, 2014,” saad sa SC First Division resolution.

Bukod sa nasabing Ombudsman at CA decisions, inapela rin ng kongresista sa high tribunal ang resolutions na may petsang October 18, 2016 at November 17, 2017 na inisyu ng Sandiganbayan, na pumapabor sa Ombudsman findings na mayroong probable cause ang kaso laban kay Pichay at iba pa na three counts sa paglabag sa Sec. 3(e) ng Republic Act (R.A.) No. 3019 gayundin ang violation sa Section XI26.2(c)(1)(2) ng Manual of Regulations for Banks (MORB), na may kaugnayan sa Sections 36 at 237 ng R.A. No. 7653.