PCOO rep censured for drinking alcohol and showing 'inappropriate pictures' during Senate hearing
A Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) resource person has gone under fire for failing to conduct “proper virtual etiquette” during a live Senate Session.
During the PCOO Senate budget hearing on Monday, Nov. 22, Senator Win Gatchalian called the attention of one Dominic Tajon for reportedly distracting the session members while on video conference.
“We can see Mr. Tajon moving around and we saw inappropriate pictures of individuals not clothed properly,” Gatchalian said. “This is a public hearing and we can all see you, we can all see what you are doing. Treat this as a proper formal hearing.”
Tajon is the general manager of APO Production Unit, a government-owned and controlled corporation under the PCOO that handles the printing jobs of agencies and offices.
Minority Leader Franklin Drilon added that Tajon was also seen drinking alcohol.
“This is a total disrespect for the Senate. We are in session, the [resource persons] are inside the session hall virtually… this is reprehensible.”
“This is the first time in my 24 years being in the Senate that I hear of a resource person imbibing hard liquor or alcohol during our session,” Drilon added.
Senator Migz Zubiri also questioned why resource persons such as Tajon were not required to physically attend the Senate Session, proposing that agency heads moving forward should also be required to sit-in physically, with failure to attend resulting in slashed budgets.
“You see them there in the luxury of their homes, maybe not even wearing pants. Baka naka short pants pa yang mga ‘yan,” Zubiri said.
Drilon added that he was “really disturbed” by Tajon’s actions. He moved to censure, or to issue a formal statement of disapproval, to the PCOO and Tajon for “total disrespect to the Senate as an institution.”
On Nov. 23, acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said that they already “referred the matter to the head of agency, and we are confident that the head of the agency will take the necessary actions.”
In a statement read by Senator Richard Gordon during the Nov. 23 Senate budget hearing, PCOO Sec. Martin Andanar apologized for the incident and said his office is already investigating the matter.
“Should he be found culpable of any wrongdoing, we will enforce pertinent disciplinary actions,” said Andanar.
Gordon likewise read a statement from Tajon during the hearing likewise apologizing over the incident and denying that he was drinking liquor. Tajon said he was also moving around because he had to transfer his connection from his cellular phone to his iPad as he was driving when the session started.