Baldoz set to decide on Roldan case

THE fate of former Labor Attache to Hong Kong Manuel Roldan is now in the hands of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

Romeo Montefalco Jr., DOLE-Legal Services Division chief, said they will submit their recommendation to Baldoz regarding the administrative cases against
Roldan this week.

“We will submit our recommendation to Secretary Baldoz within the week. She is also waiting for our recommendation kasi may mga nagtatanong na din sa kanya,” Montefalco told Hong Kong News on June 23.

Once the recommendation is submitted, Baldoz would review it and, depending on her evaluation, she could either accept or reject it.

In January, a DOLE fact-finding committee recommended that a formal investigation be undertaken on administrative complaints of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service against Roldan, who ended his tour of duty in Hong Kong in September 2014.

The investigation was based on a complaint filed by the Coalition of Service Providers for Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong, alleging that Roldan breached conflict of interest rules for allegedly approving the accreditation of an employment agency owned by the daughter of a former staff member at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong, among others.

A fact-finding committee tasked by Consul General Bernardita Catalla had found Roldan to have violated conflict of interest rules.

Montefalco shot down speculations that a decision had already been reached regarding Roldan’s case. He said Baldoz still had to review their report.