The Commission on Audit (COA) has denied the petition for P3.1 million retirement benefits of a police officer who was found guilty of grave misconduct in 2015 and was dismissed from the service.
Denied was the petition of Police Supt. Joselito T. Sta. Teresa who was charged and found guilty of grave misconduct for forging the signatures of other police personnel in filing a case before the Pasay City regional trial court (RTC).
Before his dismissal, Sta. Teresa filed an application for optional retirement which was approved by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Nov. 14, 2014 on the condition that it will "be without prejudice to the continuation of the criminal/administrative proceedings against him."
However, a decision dated Nov. 23, 2015 by the Philippine National Police (PNP) found Sta. Teresa and seven others guilty of grave misconduct and they were ordered dismissed from the service.
Sta. Teresa’s appeals on his dismissal before the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had been denied.
In denying Sta. Teresa’s plea for retirement benefits, the COA said: "Grave misconduct is a grave offense which warrants the ultimate penalty of dismissal from service with the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from public office, bar from taking civil service examinations, and forfeiture of retirement benefits.”
"Thus, a government employee who was dismissed from the service forfeits his retirement benefits, unless the decision provides otherwise," it said.
"Wherefore, the Petition for Money Claim of Retired Police Superintendent Joselito T. Sta. Teresa against the Philippine National Police, for payment of retirement benefits amounting to P3,184,173.94 is hereby denied for lack of merit," the dispositive portion of the COA’s decision stated.
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