City Hall to probe ‘workers’ seen playing, doing makeup

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Legal Office and the Human Resource Development Office are now investigating the employees who were caught by the Civil Service Commission doing makeup and playing mobile games during office hours.

City Attorney Rey Gealon said the city will impose appropriate actions if proven that the people are really City Hall employees.

“Considering that we are yet on transition stage, most if not all the people in and around the premises of the City Hall building, especially those along corridors, were either applying for government positions or awaiting employment or appointments for courtesy calls,” he said.

Gealon said the people will be summoned to appear before the investigating body if they will be confirmed employees of the city to explain their respective actions.

If found liable, he said employees will be meted with the corresponding penalties.

“Rest assured, the mayor, owing to the strength and purity of his character and career background as former director of the Honorable Office of the Ombudsman, does not condone any wrongdoing. Those actions that impede the effectivity and efficiency of government service cannot be countenanced, aligning with the mayor’s call to uphold the dictum that ‘public office is a public trust,’” he added.

Last Tuesday, CSC Commissioner Aileen Lourdes Lizada led the surprise visit at City Hall where he saw “government workers” playing mobile games and having makeup sessions.

Lizada said she saw employees doing makeup samples while the public is waiting in line waiting to be served.

Also, the HRDO is set to issue a memorandum to all the departments and offices in City Hall directing the heads to monitor all employees and warn them of the possible sanctions will face for not doing their job.

Mayor Edgardo Labella called for a meeting among the department heads and apprised them of the observations of the CSC yesterday before leaving for his official trip to China.

“Their answer to me was that most, if not all, of those who were out there standing and using their cellphones, are those job seekers. They are not employees,” the mayor said.

Labella instructed City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr. that people who do not have business inside the City Hall and those people whose job applications are still pending, just stay for a while and not hang around the premises of the city to pave way for the city’s constituents who have something to do at City Hall.

“I instructed the different department heads to monitor their employees and see to it that they are in their respective posts,” the mayor said. — GAN (FREEMAN)