MALAY, Aklan – Acting Mayor Frolibar Bautista urged municipal workers to perform their duties and functions well to prevent disruption of government services in mainland Malay and Boracay Island.
Bautista, who took over the position of dismissed mayor-elect Ceciron Cawaling, said it’s business as usual in the town.
“Kailangan natin ng life guards, traffic enforcers, cleaners, mga workers sa garbage collection. Maging volunteers muna sila para patuloy ang ating serbisyo. Kaya status quo lahat ng mga employees,” he added.
Bautista was referring to around 300 job order and other casual employees of the local government unit whose contracts expired on June 30.
Since Bautista is fresh to being the acting mayor, he does not have the power to hire or appoint employees at the town hall yet, according to the Local Government Code of 1991. He still has to wait for 30 days to exercise this power.
This means the workers also have to wait for 30 days for their employment to be retained, the acting mayor said.
Bautista took oath on July 1 before Barangay Caticlan village chief Ralf Tolosa. No. 1 councilor Nino Carlos Cawaling took oath as the acting vice mayor of Malay, too.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the dismissal of Ceciron Cawaling on April 22, 2019 for neglecting the ecological health of Boracay Island.
The dismissal order was implemented by the Department of Interior and Local Government two days later.
Bautista said he will support the intensified implementation of local ordinances under Project BESST (Boracay Enhanced Security and Strategy Tactics).
As of this writing, a total of P1.492 million worth of fines were collected and 1,208 violators were apprehended by the task force in the world-famous island. (With Akean Forum/PN)
