ILOILO City – City Treasurer Jinny Hermano complained to the police having received threats from unpaid city government job hires.
Around seven job hires under the Task Force on Morals and Values Formation went to his office on Tuesday afternoon and inquired why their January and February payrolls were returned to the city mayor’s office.
According to Hermano, one of the job hires claimed being a drug surrenderee and had a group who could “take down” anyone.
He believed it was a threat and reported this to the police.
Hermano, however, remained firm in his decision not to sign the job hires’ payroll.
“I told them indi ako magbayad bangod nagsobra sa monthly allocation ang ila nga payroll,” explained Hermano.
In fact, he added, the City Treasurer’s Office returned 19 more payrolls from various city hall offices for the same reason.
According to City Administrator Hernando Galvez, city government has over 2,000 job hires. He did not say how many of these have not been paid since January this year.
A source told Panay News 145 job hires were unpaid in January and 87 in February.
Previously, said Hermano, because various offices informed him in advance about their respective job hires, he had lead time to prepare the allocation for these offices’ casuals.
But it’s different this year; the city is operating under a reenacted budget of 2018, said 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,” said Hermano.
He had a suggestion to the offices concerned: “Kakason nila ang sobra. Halinon nila sa iban nga may bakante nga appropriation then pasudlon sa payroll.”
Feeling alluded by Hermano’s report to the police, Roy Acapulco, a job hire under the Task Force Morals and Values Formation, clarified that he and several other companions were just inquiring about their payroll from the city treasurer and seeking advice.
“Ang akon ginhambal was kadako ka problema sang tokhang and surrenderers nga nahatagan solusyon but what about sa about sa amon problema bilang casuals sa siyudad? Delayed two months amon sweldo, amo lang gid na,” said Acapulco. “Wala ko nagpamahog. Gapakitluoy lang and pangayo advice. Ano ipakaon namon sa amon pamilya?”
He said he was open to a background check.
“Indi ko ‘ya drug surrenderee,” Acapulco stressed./PN
