ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 206, December 05, 1952

MALACAÑAN PALACE

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 206, December 05, 1952 ]

IMPOSING A FINE ON DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE CIRIO H. PAÑGANIBAN

This is an administrative case against Director of the Institute of National Language Cirio H. Pañganiban, who is charged with a number of irregularities, including drawing a salary while confined in a hospital, teaching during office hours, receiving money from a subordinate, laxity, abuse of power and inefficiency. The charges were investigated by the Integrity Board, in the course of which all of them, except one, were dismissed by it upon motions of the complainants and the respondent. The Board, however, found respondent guilty of teaching during office hours and recommended that he be fined and warned.

It appears that the respondent conducted classes in the National Language from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the Far Eastern University and taught three hours daily in said institution without the necessary permit from competent authority. Respondent explained that he was of the honest belief that his teaching was with the consent of the then Secretary of Education, Dr. Manuel V. Gallego, judging from his conversation with the latter’s secretary; that, at any rate, other high government officials also taught during office hours without the necessary permit; and that he was not aware of any law or regulation requiring a bureau director to be at his desk at 8:00 a.m.

Respondent’s explanation is not satisfactory. Neither former Secretary Gallego nor his secretary was presented to corroborate him. The fact that other high government officials were also teaching during office hours cannot afford him any relief inasmuch as everyone is answerable for his own acts, and similar violations of regulation by others constitute no defense. Office hours in the Government having been fixed to commence at eight o’clock in the morning, bureau directors, if indeed they are not supposed to observe the same strictly, are at least supposed not to engage in outside activities during office hours.

Wherefore, respondent Cirio H. Pañganiban is hereby fined in an amount equivalent to his salary for ten days. He is also warned that repetition of similar irregularities in the future will be dealt with more severely.

Done in the City of Manila, this 5th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-two, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the seventh.

(Sgd.) ELPIDIO QUIRINO

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) MARCIANO ROQUE

Acting Executive Secretary