ILOILO City – “Fake news.”
This was how City Administrator Hernando Galvez described a report on social media that 57 job hires in the city government were fired and that this was due to politics.
“Diin nâ sila halin? Kanday sin-o nâ sila?” asked Galvez.
But while he denied the social media report, Galvez stressed that termination is always a possibility for city government job hires.
The contract of a job hire lasts only for a month, he explained.
The nonrenewal of a job contract has nothing to do with politics, said Galvez; it simply means there is no more need to retain a job hire’s services.
“Mayor Jose Espinosa III will never terminate an employee merely on the basis of religious belief, political leaning or skin color,” stressed Galvez. “Ang mga abusador, palaligoy, wala ga-cooperate, wala kita nagakangilin nga indi sila pag-renew.”
According to the city administrator, “non-uniformed agents” have been tasked to monitor city hall employees, including job hires, during office hours.
“Tanan nga deserving sang pagsalig sang publiko padayon nga tagaan sang oportunidad nga magserbisyo sa syudad,” said Galvez.
He wondered why the nonrenewal of job hires’ contracts was an issue now; this was not a big deal during the administration of then mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, he said.
As the city administrator, the hiring and firing of casuals rested on Galvez’s office.
“I don’t play politics,” said Galvez who was also the city administrator during the Mabilog administration.
Galvez recalled not renewing the contracts of five job hires for binge drinking during office hours last year.
“I-emphasize naton sa mga job hires nga dapat serbisyo sila sang nagakadapat kay damu sang nagakinahanglan sang trabaho nga willing maging mapisan,” said Galvez.
There are over 2,000 pending job hire applications in the city government, he revealed./PN
