ILOILO City – The appropriations committee of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) hopes to find a “win-win” solution to the non-release of the salaries of city government job hires.
The committee headed by Councilor Plaridel Nava learned that 388 job hires were yet to be paid since January.
During the committee’s legislative inquiry on the matter on Monday, City Treasurer Jinny Hermano and City Budget Officer Ninda Atinado suggested that they be given a heads-up on the number of job hires that city government offices would be hiring for a particular month so their offices could prepare the necessary documents and funds.
Hermano is under fire for refusing to sign the job hires’ payroll for January and February. He had said certain offices’ number of job hires already exceeded their monthly allocation.
Early last month, Hermano said that previously various offices informed him in advance about their respective job hires so he had lead time to prepare the allocation for these offices’ casuals.
But it’s different this year, he said, because the city is operating under a reenacted budget of 2018.
“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.”
According to Councilor Nava, “Istoryahon ko ang executive branch.”
“Ang ila man lang (City Treasurer and City Budget Officer) is they will also be given due courtesy. Pabal-on sila kon pila gid ka casuals gin-hire. Sa job order dapat makapirma man sila,” said Nava.
Another matter that needed clarification, said Nava, is Mayor Jose Espinosa III’s veto of the 2019 city budget.
“If the veto is only on expenditures, kun figures ‘ya ara gyapon, wala sang reenacted budget. Kun wala reenacted budget, we can propose a supplemental budget para maswelduhan sila. Kon ang issue is wala appropriation, I can propose a supplemental budget,” said Nava.
Espinosa partially vetoed the SP-approved 2019 executive budget of P2,318,992,692 in December 2018.
The partial veto covered items under Maintenance and Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the City Mayor’s Office except for Security Services and Project Dakip, and the salaries of casuals under several offices.
“With this partial veto, 2018’s appropriation for the same item would thus be reenacted,” Galvez told Panay News last year.
According to Nava, if the city government has enough money, job hires have nothing to worry about.
The Internal Audit Service (IAS) Office reported to Espinosa recently that the city government has enough funds to pay job hire employees.
Collection for the month of January to February far exceeded the disbursement covering the period January to March 14, 2019, read part of the report prepared by IAS chief Atty. Joan Montaño-Pallada.
There are 3,687 job hires assigned to various officers at city hall, according to Nava./PN
