2 PMA civilian instructors fired over drowning of freshman cadet
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 11:36:04 +0000
TWO civilian instructors at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) were sacked over the drowning of a freshman cadet earlier this month.
Capt. Cheryl Tindog, PMA spokeswoman, said in a statement on Friday that Robert Bete and Antonio Catalan were “found negligent and imprudent” in teaching “Fundamentals of Swimming,” one of the subjects at the academy.
Cdt. 4th Class Mario Telan Jr. drowned at the PMA pool on November 8 while attending his swimming class from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Tindog said Bete was a regular employee of the PMA command and was recommended for dismissal. Other penalties include cancellation of his eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and being barred from taking civil service examinations.
Catalan was a job-order employee or those with intermittent or emergency jobs in the government. He was also “immediately terminated” from the PMA, Tindog said.
“[Catalan] has also been recommended to the Civil Service Commission for cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and barred from taking civil service exams,” she said.
Tindog said the sanctions imposed on Bete and Catalan were based on Rule 10, Section 46 of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service for gross neglect of duty.
Sanctions for lapses, faults and shortcomings of two 4th Class Cadet marchers, as well as the head of the Sports and Physical Development Unit, “are being thoroughly deliberated upon and for immediate implementation,” Tindog also said.
She said that the two freshmen cadet marchers “were responsible for accounting [for] their classmates before and after the swimming class.”
Swimming classes of cadets in all levels remain suspended until all safety measures are put in place.
Tindog also said that the PMA command was eyeing to tap a team from the Philippine Navy’s Special Operations Group to be part of all water-borne training activities.
“The PMA is committed to leaving no stone unturned on the case of Cdt. 4th Class Telan and will continue to institute measures for the safety of all cadets so that this tragic incident will not be repeated,” she stressed. DEMPSEY REYES