This
is NOT good news for government employees.
On October 18, 2011, the Supreme Court promulgated its decision
in Pollo vs.Constantino-David, G.R. No. 181881. This case involved a
search of an office computer assigned to the petitioner, an employee of the
Civil Service Commission Regional Office No. IV (CSC-ROIV). The
search was a consequence of an anonymous letter-complaint received by respondent CSC
Chairperson alleging that the “chief of the Mamamayan muna hindi mamaya na
division” of CSC-ROIV has been lawyering for public officials with pending
cases in the CSC. The employee’s personal files stored in the computer,
many of which were draft pleadings or letters in connection with
administrative cases in the CSC and other tribunals, were used as evidence in
the administrative proceedings subsequently initiated against him.
