Banate mayor reinstates sacked eng'r

By Florence F. Hibionada

It is back to work for Banate municipal engineer Robert Bachoco of Banate following the order of Mayor Carlos Cabangal Jr. for the former's reinstatement.

“You are therefore entitled for the payment of your backwages and other benefits from the time you were terminated until the date of your reinstatement,” Cabangal said in a note that accompanied his 'change of mind.'

“I am very happy that justice was finally served on my case, and even happier that Mayor Cabangal respected the CSC order for my reinstatement,” Bachoco said when the news today reached him for comment.

Cabangal dismissed Bachoco after the 2004 elections because of a rift. Bachoco then questioned his dismissal before the Civil Service Commission. Cabangal then argued that reinstating Bachoco would not be beneficial for the municipality.

“A scenario will arise wherein the mayor who no longer has trust and confidence on said Engineer Bachoco and the latter who refuses to work creates a crazy scenario which would clearly exacerbate the tension between the parties creating working conditions not to the benefit of the infrastructure program of the mayor and to the damage of the Municipality of Banate as a whole,” the mayor then argued before the CSC.

But in deciding in favor of Bachoco, the CSC said that Cabangal's argument was failed to fall under any of the grounds that could have supported his decision to dismiss his municipal engineer.