A formal hearing before the USG Supreme Court for the FAST2010 batch government officers facing an impeachment complaint was held at the USG conference room last April 19. Tabitha Tomas (Batch president), Patricia Cui (Batch vice president), and Jamina Padilla (LA representative) were charged for gross negligence of duty, illegal disbursements of funds, and behavior that undermines the integrity of the USG after losing a total of Php 14,000 during the course of a tie up project with Team Communication last October.
A brief study of the case reveals that Tomas, who was partly in charge of keeping the funds from the Freedom Film Fesitval last October, lost Php 7,000 worth of income kept in a cash box. The three officers, sensing the urgency to replace the loss, then decided to split the cost in order to pay it off. Padilla, who was assigned to deliver the replacement fund to Team Communication president Danise Talaba then entrusted the money to a person who claimed to be the proxy of Talaba, as Talaba could not make it to the meeting. The replacement money, however, never reached Talaba.
The court ruled Cui innocent on all charges while Tomas and Padilla were found guilty of gross negligence of duty. The court decided to forgo impeachment as the two will not be assuming posts in the USG for the incoming academic year. However, Tomas and Padilla were sanctioned with a disbarment from the USG.