For the nth time, Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza has requested the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass a resolution embodying the concurrence of majority of all its members on the appointment of Senen S. Rawal as department head of the Provincial General Services Office.
It may be recalled that before their terms were temporarily cut short by a six-month suspension, the provincial board under Vice Governor Robert A. Fernandez had rejected multiple times the Razal appointment over the former Pandan OIC-municipal treasurer’s involvement in alleged irregularities during the time of then Mayor Raul E. Tabirara.
At the same time, the Fernandez SP also did not concur with the appointment of Atty. Alyssa Anne D. Sanchez as Provincial Human Resource Management Officer over her lack of qualifications, rejecting her appointment a total of seven times.
Last May 2026, the vice governor got a favorable ruling from Civil Service Commission Bicol Regional Director Atty. Daisy Punzalan Bragais stating that knowingly and repeatedly issuing appointments to unqualified appointees may constitute an administrative and criminal offense, as enunciated in Article 244 of the Revised Penal Code, with the erring public officer to suffer the penalty of arresto mayor and a fine not exceeding 1,000 pesos.
The CSC director stressed that in local government units, “the effectivity date of the appointment date of the signing of the appointing officer or authority ends the moment the local sanggunian rejects or disapproves it” and the same requires no further action from the CSC regional or field offices.
As to why the Azanza administration has continued to stick with Razal as the PGSO head despite the allegations against the former Pandan treasurer is a mystery to the public.
As early as July 18, 2025, the governor had been informed by Acting Provincial Treasurer Erme T. Tablante on the resolution from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) on the “alleged undeposited collections and falsification of official receipts” by Razal.
Tablante should have done away with the word “alleged” since two PTO officials investigated the matter and their findings were validated by the BLGF, which found substantial evidence to warrant legal action against Razal.
In her letter, the provincial treasurer implicitly asked the governor to consider the BLGF recommendations to “help address the issues transparently and effectively, strengthening public trust and confidence in the government.”
That was then, when not even the new Pandan LGU administration headed by Mayor Honesto C. Tabligan II expressed its intent to file a case against a former official who allegedly violated the trust of their constituents.
Even Gov. Azanza, who also received the same resolution from BLGF as Razal was already under its employ, passed the ball back to the Pandan LGU.
Now that Mayor Tabligan has finally filed charges of malversation of public funds against Razal, another MTO employee and former Mayor Tabirara, it could be the final nail on the coffin of Razal’s repeated appointment as PGSO head and his stint as chairman of the Capitol’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).
Of course, that would depend on the Committee on Justice where the governor’s letter-request was referred to after the session last Monday, July 6, 2026.
Tomorrow, July 9, the committee composed of PBM Gregorio E. Angeles as chairman, PBM Joy Z. Tamayo as vice chairman, and PBMs Virginia D. Sanchez, Aida A. Dianela, and Joseph L. Mendoza will decide on Razal’s fate.
Considering that the Ombudsman case filed against the former Pandan treasurer is now of public record, the public will soon know if the honorable PBMs will still vouch for the PGSO chief’s integrity and fitness to hold the position until he retires or is found guilty and dismissed from the service.