The Sandiganbayan ordered the 90-day suspension pendente lite of Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) Professor I Susana Salvacion.
In the Sandiganbayan’s Minute Resolution, the anti-graft court directed Salvacion to cease and desist from further performing and/or exercising the functions, duties and privilege of her present public position or any other government position she may now or thereafter be holding, effective upon notice and continuing for 90 days.
Records show that Salvacion is facing charges for violation of Section 3(e) and (h) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) for giving unwarranted benefits, preference or advantage to Nurmed Hyperlearn Review and Tutorial Services (Nurmed), a company she owns, by introducing Nurmed as an alternative review facility to SLSU students and using the facilities of the SLSU College of Allied Medicine as the venue for review classes without any permit or contract.
The court granted the prosecution’s motion to suspend the accused pursuant to the mandatory character of Section 13 of R.A. No. 3019 which provides that any incumbent officer against whom any criminal prosecution under a valid information under this law is pending in court, shall be suspended from office.
Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019 prohibits any official or employee from causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of official function through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. On the other hand, Section 3(h) prohibits a public official from directly or indirectly having any financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or transaction in connection with which the official intervenes or takes part in an official capacity, or in which the official is prohibited by the Constitution or by any law from having any interest. ###