ROXAS City – Where are the 15 casual employees hired for the Roxas City government’s Matahum and Matinlo Program? Councilor Powell del Rosario wants to know.
Vice Mayor Erwin Sicad could be charged with graft, warned del Rosario.
The workers for the city government’s de-clogging program were entitled to a P160 pay for a day’s work, said del Rosario, but they “cannot be accounted until now.”
He invited the 15 casual workers to a meeting at city hall but no one showed up, said the councilor.
“I just want to know where they are assigned – kon diin sila ga-de-clogging kag gapaninlo,” del Rosario told Panay News.
He said he was not questioning their hiring “because according to the (Sangguniang Panlungsod) secretary, si Vice Mayor lang ya nag-ubra sina.”
“Kon ano man ya discretion ni Vice Mayor sa pagpili sang 15 ka tawo tagaan ta sia sang credit sina,” said del Rosario.
The councilor got curious about the casual workers while reviewing copies of their payrolls furnished to him by Sangguniang Panlungsod secretary Dino Beluso in late July and early August.
The payrolls lacked the basic information needed in securing residence tax certificate such as middle names and addresses, said del Rosario.
Sicad made the payrolls when he was acting mayor for almost a month from July to August, according to the councilor.
Sicad said he was ready to “produce” the workers but wondered why del Rosario had to make a fuss of the matter.
“Ari man lang ako diri. Madali man lang ako pamangkuton kay amigohay man kami,” said Sicad.
He stressed that “inang 15 ka mga tawo ga-exist ina.”
“Wala naton gina–abuso ang pondo nga ginahatag sa aton,” said Sicad.
The city’s Matahum and Matinlo Program has a budget of P500,000, with P350,000 already used in the first two quarters of the year.
Del Rosario said he tried to reach Sicad “several times” but the latter was “not always around.”
“Gina-expect ta lang sa iya nga i–explikar niya and show these people in flesh,” del Rosario added./PN
