Monday, April 1, 2013 THE anti-graft office junked the administrative and criminal charges against an employee of the

National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in Cebu City over the issuance of a notice of garnishment in 2009. Katherine Genovesa, graft prosecution and investigation officer, dismissed for lack of evidence the graft and grave abuse of authority charges against Jeoffrey Tamparong, NLRC administrative aide. Complainant Edgar Gica had sued Tamparong before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for the allegedly irregular issuance of a garnishment notice against his bank accounts with Banco de Oro on Ramos St., Cebu City. Abuse Gica said that Tamparong committed grave abuse of authority and violated the anti-graft law when the latter served the notice of garnishment on April 30, 2009 against his deposits, pending resolution of his motion to recompute the award. Gica said what Tamparong did was illegal since he was deprived of his property and money from his accounts to pay off his personal obligations. Tamparong, in his counter-affidavit, denied the charges. He said Gica failed to attend the preexecution conference on Sept. 19, 2008, prompting labor arbiter Philip Montances to issue a writ of execution. It was only on Dec. 22, 2008 when Gica filed a motion to recompute money judgment, which was denied by the Commission on Jan. 5, 2009. Notice On April 9, 2009, Tamparong issued the notice of garnishment against Gicas account. The complainant filed an urgent motion to immediately lift the garnishment notice, but was denied. Subsequently, the bank was directed to garnish P320,145.45 from Gicas account with the cashier of the regional arbitration branch. Gica then filed a petition for injunction before the NLRC Fourth Division, but the commission ruled that the garnishment notice was validly served. In the resolution, graft investigator Genovesa said Tamparong did not abuse his authority when he served the garnishment notice. Decisions, awards or orders of the labor arbiters are final and executory unless appealed to the Commission by any or both of the parties within 10 days from receipt of such awards, orders or decision, the ombudsman said.