A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel was dismissed from his post Thursday after being found guilty of using a government-issued vehicle to pick up prostitutes in Quezon City last December.
Admiral Joel Garcia, Coast Guard commandant, has ordered the dismissal from service of Seaman Second (SN2) Abulhair Turabin due to grave misconduct after he was captured on a video using a government vehicle in picking up prostitutes near a videoke bar on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City on Dec. 20, 2019.
According to investigation, the vehicle was issued to Turabin’s immediate supervisor, who had no idea about the former’s activities.
“Hindi niya alam, hinatid siya sa office tapos ginamit ang sasakyan.
Wala namang pananagutan ang boss dun. Red plate ‘yun. Kanina affirmed na ni commandant na dismissed siya,” Captain Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesperson, said.
Balilo furthered that the investigation and legal procedure took two months. Turabin was also able to explain his side on the incident and that “he could not deny what he did because he was caught on video.”
Turabin was placed under preventive suspension during the two-month investigation of the case.
Upon review and evaluation of the case, Turabin was found guilty of utilizing a government vehicle for personal matters and outside office hours, which is against the rules and regulations of the uniformed armed service and other public servants.
“Ang sa amin lang, hindi dapat i-tolerate. Kami nga galit na galit kasi damay ang PCG. It should serve as a lesson, anything like that violations that would tint the name of the PCG and public service would not be tolerated,” Balilo said.
It was disclosed that the 28-year-old Turabin was an enlisted personnel of the Coast Guard since May 2018.
Garcia ordered the dismissal based on the recommendation of Turabin’s mother unit — PCG Logistics Command — as advised two weeks ago. Turabin was directly performing under the Real Estate Management Office of the PCG – Logistics Command.
Garcia, on the other hand, exhorted that the PCG does not, in any way, tolerate such offense and urged all men and women of the service to consider this case as a lesson to exercise morality in action at all times. (Betheena Unite)
