City Hall jobs for sale? Labella launches probe

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella revealed yesterday that he is investigating a trusted employee who allegedly asked for money in exchange for jobs at City Hall.

“I have heard of a very sad report that there is an employee here, a trusted one… this is just a report but I am conducting a fact finding investigation that there is someone asking money as a consideration of being hired in the city government,” Labella told city government employees after the flag ceremony yesterday.

He said he will fire the employee if investigation supports the initial reports.

“Whoever she or he is, I will fire him immediately once I get all the facts because we will never tolerate corruption in the city government,” he said.

He told The Freeman he is yet to get the specifics, including the identity of the employee, how much is being asked from job applicants, and how many have been hired through the scheme.

“That’s why I’m having a fact finding investigation on that. Wala kahibaw pilay gipangayo. Ang ingon, duna kunoy nangayo that’s why I want it validated. And I cannot tolerate that,” Labella said.

He said those employees hired will not be affected.

Labella said he can tolerate flexibility in “matters of style” in governance but he cannot do so “on matters of principle.” A former director at the Office of the Ombudsman, he said he has zero tolerance for corruption.

He asked city officials and employees to be truthful to their sworn duties as public servants.

“Magtarong lang gyud ta sa pagserbisyo. Anyway, importante man is, just be contented. Inig drive nato og awto, dili man ta ka-drive og duha. Dili kapuyo og balay nga tulo kabuok kay usa raman atong higdaanan.

Mosakay kag Mercedes-Benz or mosakay ka’g Vios, mao raman gihapon, makaabot raka’s imong adtoan. Mao na nga let’s live life nga pinasubay sa husto nga dan (Let’s just serve honestly. It’s important to be content with what we have. Whatever brand of car, we can only drive one vehicle at a time and we reach our destination. Even if we have three houses, we can only sleep in one bed. Let’s live life according to what’s right),” Labella said.

“We have to live a legacy. Kahibaw mo unsa ning legacy? (Do you know what legacy is?) This is a seed that we will plant that we will never get to see,” he added.

Meanwhile, Labella shared that the three-day orientation of new mayors in Manila was “useful and educational.”

“The element of accountability and transparency of all public officials is very important and the element of becoming competitiveness,” he said. (FREEMAN)