Whistle-blowers are not exempted from the consequence of what they report if they are found guilty of committing corrupt practices themselves, Dumaguete City Councilor Alan Cordova said yesterday.

Cordova, a member of the committee tasked to probe alleged anomalous transactions at the city farmstead, was reacting to the statements of Vice Mayor Woodrow Maquiling scoring the recommendation for the dismissal of whistle-blower Melito Cataylo, as “unfair, unjust and unconstitutional”.

In his privilege speech during the regular session, Tuesday, Maquiling said he considers Cataylo as a whistle-blower and a witness because he was the one who reported the anomalous activities of the city agriculture office, and he believes Cataylo was innocent.

Cordova, however, said that the findings of the committee led to the conclusion that the so-called whistle-blower himself was acting in connivance with another employee, David Chiu, in perpetrating an offense.

In fact, David Chiu was also recommended for dismissal due to alleged dishonesty and violation of the Civil Service Commission rules. Their department head, identified only as “Delos Santos”, was suspended for six months without pay, under the principle of command responsibility, Cordova added.

He also refuted Maquiling’s claim that Cataylo was denied due process, saying that the investigating committee included a cross section of the community, with three lawyers and the president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Negros Oriental chapter, Samsodin Tahir.

Maquiling said Thursday that Cataylo is filing a motion for reconsideration before the City Mayor’s Office. Cordova, meanwhile, encouraged other whistle-blowers to help them stamp out corruption in government.*JG

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