G.R. Nos. 208481-82 - OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, REPRESENTED BY OMBUDSMAN CONCHITA CARPIO MORALES, VS. MARIA ROWENA REGALADO.DECISION - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

WHEREFORE, foregoing premises considered, this Office finds substantial evidence to hold MARIA ROWENA REGALADO y PLURAL guilty of Grave Misconduct and violation of Sec. 7(d) of R.A. 6713, any of which merits her removal from the government service. She is thus meted with the supreme penalty of DISMISSAL FROM THE SERVICE, which shall carry with it the accessory penalties of CANCELLATION OF ELIGIBILITY, FORFEITURE OF RETIREMENT BENEFITS, and PERPETUAL DISQUALIFICATION [FROM] REEMPLOYMENT IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. [38] On June 24, 2011, Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro approved the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao Decision. [39] In its September 8, 2011 Order, [40] the Office of the Ombudsman denied Regalado's Motion for Reconsideration. [41] In its January 7, 2013 Decision, [42] the Court of Appeals affirmed in toto the Office of the Ombudsman's ruling. The Court of Appeals explained that in the first place, St. Martha's did not even have to seek accreditation. The supposed basis for accreditation, Office Memorandum Order No. RBR 00-57, [43] apply only to the accreditation of Riper Education Institutions and not to Day Care Centers like St. Martha's. [44] The Court of Appeals added that this Memorandum required the payment of P10,000.00 only, not P50,000.00, as accreditation fee. [45] It also explained that Regalado knowingly used a falsified copy of this Memorandum, one which did not bear the signature of then Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez, and which erroneously indicated P50,000.00 as the accreditation fee. [46] The dispositive portion of the Court of Appeals January 7, 2013 Decision read: WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the Petition in CA-G.R. SP No. 120843 is DISMISSED for being moot and academic. The Petition in CA-G.R. SP No. 121748 is DENIED for lack of merit. The Decision dated 05 November 2008 and Order dated 8 September 2011 of the Office of the Ombudsman are hereby AFFIRMED in toto. SO ORDERED.