(DC file photo)
The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered the suspension of Rosario, Cavite mayor Jose Voltaire Ricafrente over reports that he had been seen gambling in a casino in Bacolod City.
Under Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 2600111, government employees, including public officials, are banned from participating in gambling activities.wheter in person or online and regardless of location or time.
Prohibited acts include merely entering or staying in gambling establishments, engaging in online gambling such as online cock fighting and e-bingo and participating or organizing ang gambling activity or event.
The policy aims to strengthen and protect integrity in public service and uphold the principle that public service is a public trust.
from Jose Voltaire Ricafrente Facebook page
Ricafrente’s six-month suspension without pay stemmed from a complaint filed by the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office I, which investigated the allegation against Ricafrente.
“This Office finds sufficient grounds for the issuance of an Order for Preventive Suspension against respondent Municipal Mayor Jose Voltaire V. Ricafrente, Municipality of Rosario, Province of Cavite, considering that there is strong evidence showing his guilt; the charges against him for Grave Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service may warrant his removal from the service,” the OMB’s six-page order stated.
It added that Ricafrente’s continued stay in office could influence the investigation “because of his access to government records and potential influence over witnesses.”
Citing its probe, the Ombudsman noted that the errant mayor went to a casino at a hotel in Bacolod City on March 14, accompanied by four other unnamed individuals. He then played at a gaming table with ₱30,000 worth of casino chips and won ₱10,000 before leaving the establishment.
