City dad to ‘fight’ for JOs’ salaries

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Noel Wenceslao yesterday said he will “fight” for the approval of payment for 28 Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement  division job order  employees.

The said employees have yet to receive their salaries this year after PROBE Chief Raquel Arce failed to first ask for City Council approval in hiring and/or renewing their appointments.

“I will fight for (the approval of) the resolution,” he assured, as he would be the one to later on draft the measure requesting the City Council to approve the payment.

It was only on March 14 that Wenceslao, City Council committee on budget and finance vice chairman, received Arce’s budget request for salaries.

In her letter to Wen-ceslao, Arce requested P1.13 million to cover for the salaries of the JOs from January 1 to June 30 this year.

Of the 28 employees, 20 are laborers receiving P300 a day, while the remaining eight are skilled workers getting P320 a day.

Wenceslao, though, said while he agrees that the JOs must be paid, department heads should always follow the right process.

“Before the renewal (or hiring) of employees, they need approval (by the City Council) kay kung mag-hire (because if they do without approval), it’s too risky,” he said.

City Councilor Margarita Osmeña, committee on budget and finance chairperson, earlier said the city cannot release the salaries because the employees have incomplete documents.

“There is no legal basis to pay (the 28 JOs) without the documents,” she had said.

The JOs, Osmeña had said, do not have yet employment contracts with the city government.

The FREEMAN tried to contact Arce for her side but as of press time calls to her phones went unanswered.

Based on her project proposal, Arce said her office needs a total of P2.25 million to support the salary of the JO employees for 2014.

“It is undeniable fact that there are still a lot of informal settlers, street traders, encroachments, obstructions and all other abuses and misuse of government owned lots, public pla-ces and/or infrastructures designed for a specific purpose. Hopefully, with enough manpower we can slowly decrease if not eradicate these unlawful acts,” she said in her proposal.  (FREEMAN)