The Court of Appeals (CA) has approved an order of the Ombudsman placing under a six-month preventive suspension without pay Rear Adm. Constancio Jardiniano and nine other Navy officers pending their investigation for alleged misuse of education and training funds. In an 11-page decision, the tribunal dismissed the petition by Jardiniano and the other accused seeking to nullify the suspension order issued by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on May 3, 2007. Jardiano, along with were LCdr. Manuel Gimena, Lt. Junior Grade Daniel Labrador, Victoria Buhia, Ens. Annaleen Magdaraog, Rosemarie Siquinia, Edmundo Baluca, Lt. Joel Tamayo, Ens. Rommel Guillermo and Marine TSgt. Gilbert Labaguis were charged with abuse of authority, grave misconduct and dishonesty for their alleged mishandling of the funds of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). The suspension of Jardiniano and the other Navy officers stemmed from a letter complaint from Navy officers in Zambales alleging irregular and anomalous handling of the NETC funds in 2005 and 2006.The complaint said of the P4.3 million received by Gimena in 2005 in cash advances, the NETC failed to liquidate P478,837. Again in 2006, Gimena allegedly received the same amount in cash advances, but failed to liquidate P512,587. Aside from the unliquidated cash advances, the complainants alleged that Jardiniano and his men conspired in the making up documents to make it appear that the medical supplies allegedly purchased from different sources were delivered to the Naval Station San Miguel hospital, although no delivery was made.
