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BY STEPHEN LOUIE CHECA
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January 18, 2018
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Cadiao terminates contractual, job order workers
SAN JOSE, Antique – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao fired contractual and job order workers under the provincial government of Antique for lack of budget for their wages.
The proposed appropriation ordinance for 2018 is still pending approval at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).
Cadiao issued Memorandum Order No. 03 that terminated the services of the workers effective Jan. 3.
The memorandum dated Jan. 10 was addressed to all heads of offices, chiefs of hospitals and the contractual and job order personnel in the province, stating, “In the absence of the (appropriation) ordinance, there will be no budget for wages and for other recurring expenses.”
It added, “Please inform them (contractual and job hire personnel) to cease from reporting to office, otherwise, they shall be deemed to serve on voluntary basis or at their own risk. Renewal of their services will resume only until the appropriation ordinance for the current year is approved.”
According to Cadiao, she issued the memorandum to call for the “spirit of volunteerism” among the workers.
The memorandum has ignited frustration among the sacked workers and their families, prompting some to post negative comments against the SP on social media.
But what’s keeping the SP from passing the proposed appropriation ordinance?
According to SP member Edigio Elio, chairman of the SP health and social services committee, they have “nothing” to approve yet.
“The SP did not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ because there were erroneous and incomplete documents from what the local finance committee and the executives have submitted,” Elio said. “In short, it was not our fault that the annual budget was not passed.”
Elio also denied the allegation that the SP did not approve the budget because some members’ request for a service vehicle and additional staff was not included in it.
“It’s fake news and I pity the one who spread it. We, in the Provincial Board, are not dumb to demand such,” Elio stressed. “I never heard those things in the plenary.”
Elio, along with the members of the SP appropriations committee chaired by Errol Santillan, also met with job hire and contractual workers and scholars of the provincial government yesterday.
Elio said they did such to “ease the worries” of the workers and the scholars.
“We will do everything to solve the problem. I also urge the executives not to dillydally their responsibilities,” Elio added.
Santillan affirmed Elio’s explanation for the non-passage of the 2018 budget.
He added that the budget proposal did not include “important things” that needed to be funded, like the Evelio B. Javier memorabilia.
Moreover, the budget proposal did not indicate where the 20 percent of the Internal Revenue Allotment and the 5 percent of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund will go.
“We cannot just approve the budget with lacking documents. Indi dapat mag-una ang karosa sa karbaw,” Santillan said.
Santillan also demanded a post-audit report on the Palarong Pambansa and the Biniyaran Festival held in the province last year.
“There must be liquidation reports. There is what we call closing of accounts. The deadline for the 2017 MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses) transactions was on Dec. 29,” Santillan added.
But Cadiao said making the reports will be a “long and tedious process.”
“We are in the critical moment here,” she said. “They (members of the SP appropriations committee) should have reviewed and questioned the documents submitted by the local finance committee earlier.”
She said the local finance committee passed the necessary documents for the appropriation ordinance as early as Oct. 16 last year.
The local finance committee also constantly meets with the SP appropriation committee, said Cadiao.
The SP will meet today for its regular session. Cadiao said she “will personally appeal to approve the annual budget for the sake of the Antiqueños.”/PN
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