Bacolod poll chief cries harassment
BACOLOD CITY – Outgoing Bacolod Election Officer Atty. Mavil Majarucon's accused Commission on Election (Comelec) regional director Dennis Ausan of orchestrating her transfer to Bago City.
Majarucon said she received a fax copy of a memorandum dated June 6, 2009 signed by Fe Campos of the Personnel Department with an attachment of Commission on Elections En Banc resolution dated May 26, 2009 reassigning her to Bago City and designating Atty. Ryan Castro as Acting Election Officer of Bacolod.
It was on April 13, 2009 when Ausan wrote Comelec chairman Jose Melo stating that Majarucon, despite her dedication and assiduousness towards work, has become the object of serious allegations of partisanship that might sooner influence her performance and the credibility of her work as Election Officer of Bacolod.
Ausan said Negros Occidental Election Supervisor Jessie Suarez had confirmed the matter and told him of the possibility of her being moved out of Bacolod.
However, Suarez issued an affidavit on May 5 denying Ausan's allegation.
Suarez said what he only discussed with Ausan is that Bacolod is highly politicized and several watchers have been assigned by political parties to personally observe the ongoing registration.
Suarez said he even issued a statement in support of Majarucon.
Majarucon in a comment to the memorandum of Director Bartolome Sinocruz, Jr., Deputy Executive Director for Operations, dated April 17, 2009 said the allegation of Ausan against her is not true, baseless, unsubstantiated, malicious, and only a figment of his imagination, for the purpose of harassing her.
“The truth of the matter is that she (Majarucon) got the ire of Ausan due to her refusal to attend the regional sportsfest and Christmas party in Roxas City, Capiz last Dec. 11-12, 2008 and also for not allowing any of her election assistants to attend the event because of the ongoing registration of voters,” Majarucon stated.
If there is indeed a complaint against her, Majarucon said, it is the duty of the regional director to call first her attention and give her the opportunity to defend or explain her side.
By going directly to the Comelec chairman without discussing the matter with her first, she said, her constitutional right to due process was violated and there was blatant disregard of administrative rules based on existing laws.
Although she questioned and contest the “premature re-assignment”, Majarucon said she will comply with the order of the Comelec.
“As a procedure reshuffling of election officers should be done during the election period,” Majarucon added.
She will file a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec en banc since she still has faith in its credibility, she said, adding that she has not seen the alleged complaint against her.
Director Ausan, on the other hand, when reached by The News Today Monday afternoon said he cannot comment yet because officially he did not receive any memorandum from the central office with regard to the re-assignment.