Malacañang dismisses assistant solgen for sexual harassment 

Malacañang has dismissed an assistant solicitor general (ASG) in connection with sexual harassment complaints filed by two interns of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

In a 22-page decision obtained by GMA Integrated News, the Office of the President dismissed ASG Derek Puertollano after he was found to be administratively liable for sexual harassment through unwanted touching of private body parts, sexual harassment through unwanted touching or brushing against a victim’s body, sexual harassment through surreptitiously looking at a person’s private part, and other analogous cases.

According to the decision, while on a business trip in 2022, Puertollano requested the conversion of one of the rooms into a deluxe double room where he would stay with the victims AAA and BBB.

Though the victims expressed preference for the double bed and single bed to be kept separate, Puertollano directed one of the victims to push them together. He also decided against transferring the victims to another hotel as the ones he found were far and did not seem safe.

AAA said that Puertollano took a bath with the door wide open. BBB, meanwhile, said he felt Puertollano’s hand touching his outer thigh while sleeping. At some point, he said he felt Puertollano move closer to him.

The following morning, BBB said Puertollano opened the bathroom door without warning while he was brushing his teeth. Similarly, AAA said Puertollano went inside the vanity of the bathroom to look for his toothbrush while he was showering, despite shouting that there was someone inside. 

In his defense, Puertollano said that AAA and BBB were unregistered guests and he did not want to give any member of the OSG Contingent the risk, responsibility, or liability of having non-registered guests.

He said that he also joined the bed after discussing the nature of BBB’s alleged disability, which he said is triggered when the room is messy.

Meanwhile, in regards to opening the bathroom door, he said he knocked and requested for BBB to hurry up as he also needed to use the bathroom. He then slid the door open and closed it when he saw BBB brushing his teeth. 

For its part, the Office of the President said it is not convinced with Puertollano’s justifications.

“The evidence presented by the prosecution satisfactorily proved that the above-discussed conduct of Puertollano caused insecurity, discomfort, offense, and humiliation to AAA and BBB,” it said.

“After a careful examination of the evidence presented, it is found that there is substantial evidence to hold Puertollano guilty for the offenses he was charged with,” it added. —RSJ/NB, GMA Integrated News