ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 214, September 01, 1956

REPRIMANDING DIRECTOR OF PLANT INDUSTRY EUGENIO E. CRUZ.

This is an administrative case against Mr. Eugenio E. Cruz, Director of Plant Industry, for alleged official misconduct and maladministration consisting of (1) nepotism and favoritism in the appointment and promotion of certain employees, (2) using an employee to do odd jobs in his house, (3) mental dishonesty or plagiarism by publishing under his name an article on coconut pests prepared by his subordinate, and (4) false testimony in declaring in a criminal case for theft against an employee that the articles (pulleys) stolen from the bureau were junk and useless although they were brand new.

The case was investigated by a technical assistant of my office, who found the respondent guilty only of having recommended the promotion of a ranking employee in his office to the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who made the appointment, when said employee has relatives within the prohibited degree working in his office. He was also found guilty of poor judgment in sending an order requiring an employee of his office assigned in Davao to come to Manila for some assignment, which was unnecessary.

It appears that upon the recommendation of the respondent, as Acting Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Jose Morales was promoted effective July 1, 1954, from Supervising Inspector at P4,800 per annum to National Field Control Supervisor at P5,400 per annum. While the promotion appears justified, as Morales was really deserving, having gone abroad to specialize in his line, the same was in violation of the executive order on nepotism, as Morales had at the time a brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law working in the same office who were appointed on the recommendation of his predecessor, of which relationship the respondent was not unaware. It does not appear that the approval of the Commissioner of Civil Service to the promotional appointment as an exception to the ban was secured. However, the appointment was duly passed upon and attested by the Bureau of Civil Service, a circumstance to show that it was in order.

The record also shows that at the instance of a division chief, the respondent issued a memorandum order dated December 16, 1954, requiring Jose Pagkatipunan, Jr., a driver stationed in Davao City, to report to the central office in Manila to assist in the installation of certain machinery. It was ascertained, however, that Pagkatipunan came to Manila not by virtue of that order but by reason of an earlier memorandum dated December 10, 1954, signed by the Chief of the Plant Pest and Disease Control Division, for and in the absence of the Director, requiring Pagkatipunan to come to Manila to bring a certain map and some reports from Davao. Respondent’s order was mailed on December 20, 1954, while Pagkatipunan arrived in Manila from Davao City on December 18, 1954. Pagkatipunan was immediately assigned to repair and clean some office machines and equipment. As there were employees in Manila who could have done the job, it was clearly a case of poor judgment on his part to call on an employee located so far away, which would have meant extra expenses for the Government had he come because of the respondent’s order, which after all was futile because the employee had already arrived in Manila. The serious charge that Pagkatipunan was called to Manila to do some painting and other odd jobs in the respondent’s house has been found groundless.

In view of the foregoing, Director of Plant Industry Eugenio E. Cruz is hereby reprimanded and admonished to be more careful in the future; otherwise, commission of similar acts will be dealt with more severely.

Done in the City of Manila, this 1st day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-six, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the eleventh.

(Sgd.) RAMON MAGSAYSAY

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) FORTUNATO DE LEON

Executive Secretary