PCOO apologizes to Senate after printing office exec cited for ‘inappropriate behavior’

The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has apologized to the Senate over the supposed “inappropriate behavior” of one of its officers during the online Senate budget deliberations on Monday.

Its sponsor during the budget debates Senator Richard Gordon read Communications Secretary Martin Andanar’s letter, in which the official said the matter was now the subject of an investigation. 

“Our apologies to the Senate. In this juncture, we reflect our sincere assurance that any such behavior that shows discourtesy will never be deliberately observed by any of our personnel in any situation as it is detrimental to PCOO, its attached agencies, our core values and government partners,” Andanar said.

On Monday, the Senate deferred the deliberations on PCOO’s 2022 proposed budget after the Senate’s sergeant -at-arms informed Senator Sherwin Gatchalian that Dominic Tajon, sales and marketing manager of Apo Marketing Unit Incorporated, was drinking alcohol while virtually attending the hearing.

APO is a government owned and controlled corporation under the PCOO.

“We are now conducting an investigation into the display of inappropriate attire and the claim that he was imbibing during the session in order to provide clarification,” Gordon said as he read Andanar’s letter.

“Should he be found culpable of any wrongdoing, we will enforce pertinent disciplinary actions to Apo Marketing Unit Incorporated sales and marketing manager Dominic Tajon,” he added.

The PCOO also assured the senators that they will not condone any improper behavior from their employees.

“Any lapse in appropriate conduct will never be condoned as we in the PCOO and our attached agencies are committed to the highest standards of professionalism in all instances,” Gordon said, still reading the PCOO statement.

“This courtesy will never be deliberately observed by any of our personnel in any situation as it is detrimental to PCOO, its attached agencies, our core values and government partners,” he added.

Tajon’s letter

Tajon apologized to the legislators after he was censured by the Senate over his disrespectful behavior during the session.

“At the outset, I profusely apologize to the honorable Senate and humbly beg its utmost compassion and consideration and excuse me for the perceived disrespectful conduct during the said session and would like to explain my side regarding the circumstances which led to me being censured,” said Gordon, reading Tajon’s letter to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Tajon also explained that his camera was constantly moving because he had to transfer to a different device while he was driving.

“First, the constant movement observed by this honorable Senate during the Senate [session] was due to the fact that I had to transfer my connection from my cellular phone to my Ipad because the session had started when I was driving home,” read Tajon’s letter.

“When I arrived home, I then utilized my Ipad to take part in the session,” he added.

He also denied drinking alcoholic beverages during the Senate budget deliberations, saying he was only consuming soft drinks.

“Second, I vehemently denied imbibing liquor or any other fermented drink during the session. Suspicion could have been made of such inappropriate behavior when I had a sip of cola in a water goblet,” Tajon wrote in his letter, as read by Gordon.

Tajon also issued an apology to the senators, adding that he will not repeat his mistakes.

“Rest assured that I would not make the same mistake again, I sincerely apologize to the honorable Senate for the disruption and inconvenience I may have caused in the subject plenary session,” Gordon said, according to Tajon’s letter.

The Senate eventually passed the PCOO’s budget following the explanation from the agency as well as Tajon’s reply. -NB, GMA News

PCOO apologizes to Senate after printing office exec cited for ‘inappropriate behavior’
Source: Filipino Viral News PH