Mayor thinking of suing cause of Ermita workers’ “hardship”

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is contemplating of filing complaints for dismissal from service against Ermita barangay officials who failed to liquidate disbursed funds, resulting to barangay workers not being paid of their wages for four months.

In a press conference yesterday, the mayor said he will ask the City Legal Office to study what appropriate charges to file against the barangay officials because they were the cause of the workers’ “hardship”.

“Ato ning klarohon, even if Rupinta (suspended barangay captain Felicisimo Rupinta) comes back, if they don’t liquidate, they still cannot pay (the barangay workers),” Osmeña said.

Over 140 barangay workers have not received their salaries since January because the Commission on Audit ordered the Land Bank of the Philippines not to release the barangay's money.

It was after Department of Interior and Local Government officials last January 31 implemented the order of Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas placing Rupinta and seven barangay councilmen Marky Rizaldy Miral, Antonieto Flores, Ryan Jay Rosas, Alio Tamundo, Domingo Ando, Maria Buanghug, and Wilbert Flores under preventive suspension for their alleged failure to cooperate in the anti-drug operation in the barangay last year.

As of now, the Office of the President has yet to appoint the acting caretaker of the barangay.

To alleviate the workers’ "hardships,” Osmeña said, the city government will give one sack of rice to each of the unpaid barangay workers, who have not received their salaries for four months now.

The mayor said he thought that the issue on the salaries of workers was addressed months ago.

“Give them one sack of rice, each employee. I think I can testify that it’s very clearly a hardship case, people in need. ASAP (Accelerated Social Amelioration Program) fund is for special cases like that,” he said.

Osmeña said the issue on not giving salaries to the barangay workers is not because the city government did not process the payment while all barangay officials are serving their six-month suspension.

Assistant City Administrator Veronica Morellos said she already instructed Barangay Treasurer Enriqueta Cabigon to process the liquidation so that COA will lift the suspension.

Sought for comment, Barangay Secretary Erwin Peñafort said he will be helping the barangay treasurer process the liquidation.

“Ang liquidation kay up to January. Humana naman mis December, January nalang tiwasonon kay unsa may liquidate-ton namo sa February to May nga wa namay mi funds nga nakuha. We will submit it this week or Monday,” he said.

Even if they will submit the liquidation, Peñafort said, the workers still cannot get their salaries because the Office of the President or the DILG has not appointed someone to sit as caretaker of the barangay. — Jean Marvette A. Demecillo, Charlene Cobol (FREEMAN)