BANGUED, Abra – Abra Vice Gov. Maria Jocelyn Valera-Bernos said that her 18-month suspension by the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs under the Office of the President was politically motivated and seeks destroy her reputation.
The suspension order stemmed from the complaint filed in December 2020 by Dr. Voltaire Seares of the Dr. Petronoillo Seares Sr. Memorial Hospital here when then Gov. Bernos ordered a lockdown in the hospital in June 2020 after one of its nurses tested positive for Covid-19.
The complainant accused Bernos of oppression, abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of a public official, and disobedience to national government policies for having insufficient basis to declare the lockdown.
Bernos admitted that the complaint cropped up at the height of the pandemic, “an event we all agree,” and was unprecedented and a time of uncertainty and ambiguity.
“I was the governor of the province at that time when Seares Hospital filed a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against me and other provincial officials for a decision I made for the sole purpose of ensuring the safety of all Abreños from the threats of Covid-19. It was never aimed to target any specific hospital, but a necessary and immediate action to mitigate the probable spread of the virus when at that time no known control and vaccine were available,” she said.
At that time, she said the top priority of the provincial government was the protection and safety of residents and stressed that the proper health protocols as directed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) were strictly followed.
“I stand my position as governor and my decision for the benefits of the residents in the province,” she said. “On May 4, 2022, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the complaint and ruled that my actions were done in good faith and within the bounds of my duty as a public servant during a state of calamity,” she added.
She said that the suspension order has a clear motive to destroy her character and capability of serving the province of Abra.
“My province mate, we should not let those people behind this order to prevail from this politically-motivated character and reputation attacks against me," she said. “I want to let all of you know that as your vice governor, I, together with Gov. Dominic ‘Dads’ Valera, will continue to look after your best interests and will always work for the good and safety of the general public.”