ILOILO City – City Treasurer Jinny Hermano stood firm on his decision not to sign the payrolls of city hall’s unpaid job hire personnel despite Mayor Jose Espinosa III’s warning.
“I won’t give cash backup to offices that exceeded their monthly allocations,” stressed Hermano.
The city treasurer added that he is ready to face the consequences of his decision, even if it reaches court.
“Waay kaso atubangon sa korte kon mag-file sila kaso. Maayo gani nga korte ang madesisyon kon sin-o insakto sa amon,” he said.
Espinosa issued Memorandum Order No. 54 dated March 13 over about 20 returned payrolls to his office.
The memorandum directed Hermano “to act within 24 hours from receipt under pain of administrative sanction.”
“If you have objection or doubt to said particular disbursement, find comfort on Section 342 of the Local Government Code,” it added.
But Hermano said Section 342 of the Local Government Code is “not a valid defense” should the city’s appropriation under a 2018 reenacted budget runs out.
“Indi sia valid nga defense kon maubos ang appropriation…Ako ‘ya hanuton sang misappropriation and mismanagement of funds,” he said.
On March 14, Espinosa also ordered the Internal Audit Service Office to conduct an audit investigation into all tax collections and actual collections of the City Treasurer’s Office.
Internal Audit head Mary Joan Montaño-Pallada was also directed to probe the delay in the processing of papers and claims at the City Treasurer’s Office.
Last week, Hermano complained to the police having received threats from unpaid job hires.
He said about seven job hires under Task Force on Morals and Values Formation came to his office on March 12 and inquired why their January and February payrolls were returned to the mayor’s office.
Hermano added that one of them claimed to be a drug surrenderee and a member a group that could “take down” anyone.
The city treasurer considered it a threat, but did not back down and told the job hires he won’t sign their payrolls.
City Administrator Hernando Galvez said the city government has over 2,000 job hires. He did not say how many of these have not been paid since January.
But a source told Panay News 145 job hires were unpaid in January and 87 in February.
The city government is operating under a reenacted budget, according to Hermano.
“Indi kita pwede kadugang sang pundo kon maubos. Yes, ginpreparahan ta sang monthly allocation ang mga offices para ma-sustain naton ang programs from January to December. But anything nga masobra dira I will not allow nga bayran,” he added./PN
