ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 61, September 21, 1954

CONSIDERING AS RESIGNED MR. MENELEO BERNARDEZ, MEMBER-SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF SPECIAL INQUIRY, BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION.

This is an administrative case against Mr. Meneleo Bernardez, member-secretary of the board of special inquiry, Bureau of Immigration, of drunkenness, which was looked into by a special investigator of the Department of Justice.

The record of investigation shows that during the hearing of the deportation cases against Sy Chuan alias Lim Ah Tiong and others on March 23 and 25, 1954, by a board of special inquiry of the Bureau of Immigration of which the respondent was a member, the latter smelled of liquor and was very much under the influence of the same, as a result of which he was unusually aggresive and sarcastic in questioning the witness and interpellating the special prosecutor; and that he again smelled and was under the influence of liquor when he was in the office in the morning of March 27, 1954.

Respondent’s conduct on the occasions above referred to clearly shows him to be wanting in proper decorum which, besides creating a bad effect upon the morale of the office force, cast a poor reflection on the office in particular and the public service in general, especially with the publication in a local Chinese newspaper about respondent’s behavior during the booad hearing of March 23, 1954, to the effect that he was drunk and nearly featured in a fisticuff with defense counsel, in view of which the hearing had to be stopped and postponed to another day. Although the respondent was officially absent from office on March 27, 1954, nevertheless he did not thereby cease to be an official of the Bureau and was therefore amenable for his acts in the office, especially during office hours.

In view of the foregoing, I am constrained to take drastic action against the respondent for highly unbecoming conduct as a public officer. Wherefore, and upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Justice, Mr. Meneleo Bernardez is hereby considered as resigned effective upon receipt of notice hereof.

Done in the City of Manila, this 21st day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the ninth.

(Sgd.) RAMON MAGSAYSAY

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) FRED RUIZ CASTRO

Executive Secretary