BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
PITIFUL! A total of 447 job order (JO) workers in Isabela town are languishing from non-payment of their salaries for almost a month now.
They were “caught in the middle” of a silent yet raging political squabble between Mayor Irene Montilla and Vice Mayor Renato “J.R.” Malabor, Jr. Both are up for a duel for the mayoral post in next year’s elections.
What’s funny is the issue of non-payment of JO workers’ salaries from end month of October to date just because of the “mysterious” list.
The town’s council, according to Councilor Francis “Dol” Malabor, uncle of Vice Mayor J.R., is just asking from Mayor Irene the list of JO workers.
“As soon as she submits it, we’ll approve the Supplemental Budget No. 3,” assures Dol, chairman of the Committee on Finance.
Supplemental Budget No. 3 contains P3.3-million proposed budget. A portion of it is the amount intended for the salaries of JO workers.
But Dol says, “We want to know first why we have 447 JO workers and who are they?”
Dol stresses they know the plight of the JO workers, “who are also our kasimanwas.”
“We empathize with them,” he accentuates.
“Yes, they really need their salaries (now) para may ibakal sila bugas nga inug-isulod pa nila sa kaldero to feed their respective families.”
He, however, clarifies that, in the spirit of transparency, it is also their prime duty to know where the town’s money goes.
Asked why only now, responds Dol, “Because this is also the first time that the executive department requests for approval a supplemental budget for the salaries of our JO workers.”
Also, he denies that they’re “politicking” because his nephew is running against the incumbent lady mayor.
In fact, Dol reveals, they’ve already approved the P100 increase ion the existing daily rate of P250/day for JO workers.
“Natabu-an lang nga manug-eleksyon subong, but there’s no politics here.”
WHO’S TELLING THE TRUTH?
Mayor Irene, on the other hand, says she already invited Vice Mayor J.R. several times for a one-on-one meeting thru multitude of letters to discuss this matter, but to no avail still.
“I don’t know their tactics and reasons…I am even willing to sit down with the council,” she says.
Thus, Mayor Irene says she’d already told their JO workers that the issue on their salaries is beyond her power.
“It’s sad that most of our JO workers are currently assigned at their Rural Health Unit (RHU), serving as frontliners amid the novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and vaccination drive,” underscores the lady mayor. “I pity them. That’s why we already gave each of them four kilos of rice as our assistance.”
But the camp of Vice Mayor J.R. insists they don’t want fanfare on the issue.
“As soon as the mayor submits the list, we’ll hold a special session and we’ll approve the amount intended for the salaries of our JO workers,” vows Vice Mayor J.R.
On Nov. 18, 2021, the law firm Ortiz and Associates, serving as counsel for the vice mayor’s camp, also penned a letter to Mayor Irene, saying, “Our clients cannot see any point why your office adamantly refuses to provide them the list.”
Town’s Human Resource (HR) officer is “mum” on the mysterious list of the JO workers though.
LET THE DEAD REST
“Don’t be obstructionists,” appeals Mayor Irene to the vice mayor’s camp.
“We are just doing our mandate: to see to it that there’s check and balance between the executive and legislative,” counters the vice mayor’s camp.
Of the 10 council members, eight are allied with Vice Mayor J.R.
The current budget impasse, underscores the lady mayor, is quite disgusting and frustrating.
But she admires their JO workers that, in spite of having no salaries for about a month now, their dedication, commitment and bravery to continue working are still there.
The camp of Vice Mayor J.R., however, got irked with Mayor Irene’s alleged distasteful remark which, for him, indirectly “desecrated” his dead father.
RMN-DYHB reports the lady mayor as saying that the camp of Vice Mayor J.R. is simply “Nato” or “no actions, talks only”.
Nato refers to the popular moniker of the vice mayor’s father, the late Isabela Mayor Renato “Nato” Malabor,Sr.
Mayor Nato was dubbed the “King of Scholars” in Isabela and the entire 5th District when he also became provincial board member prior to his assassination in Barangay Guintubdan, Isabela on June 28, 2015.
The late mayor was also hailed as “Champion of Education”. He purchased a bus solely devoted for “hatid-sundo” during weekend of their town’s college scholars wherever school they’re studying in Bacolod and other parts of the province.
Inheriting his “political trademark” is his son, Vice Mayor J.R., who’s also gradually regarded as the “Prince of Scholars.”
“Yes, I don’t have infrastructure projects to showcase when I was provincial board member and now as vice mayor, but I do have a lot of scholars to name,” the Vice Mayor J.R. confides.
He believes, like his father, that education is the only weapon to empower Isabelenos against poverty.
Isabela is one of the “hot beds” of insurgency in Negros island.
Dol, meanwhile, says, “Kabay pa nga indi mag-bangon ang utod ko nga patay na sa gina-panghambal ni Mayor Irene.”
“Let the dead rest,” appeals Vice Mayor J.R.
‘INNER REBELS’
Well, political bickering during election(s) is just as normal.
For some, it’s a healthy political exercise meant to widen voters’ perspective and knowledge on who is the best someone to vote for.
But what’s happening now in Isabela is, somehow, a showcase of “politics of ugliness”.
Why?
That’s because in the midst of political squabble, there are hundreds of people caught in the middle, and who are now ultimately sacrificing.
Just imagine someone having no salary for almost a month. Are the four kilos of rice enough to feed a family?
It bleeds my heart. I empathize with the JO workers. I know their very intention – to work and to earn for their families. But to be “sandwiched” in the current political squabble is the “worst” thing they have to weather right now. I do hope this “odd” is over soonest.
For Mayor Irene, I think she needs to comply with the request of the town’s councilors to give them the list of the JO workers. After all, what’s in the list?
Her supporters, likewise, should refrain from coining something meant to desecrate the dead.
It’s inappropriate for the lady mayor, a doctor of medicine by profession, to engage in a political squabble using obnoxious pronouncements.
For the camp of Vice Mayor J.R., kindly subscribe to an open communication mantra.
The current mess can’t be dragged ‘til election is over. People’s mouths and stomachs are involved here. When hunger knocks, someone can’t already understand what politics is.
If it happens, both the camps of the mayor and vice mayor can be blamed for culturing “inner rebels” within their populace. This is sad!
And to be frank, I hate to hear this phrase later: “Too late the hero!”/PN
