Mayor, council quibble over supplemental budget for workers

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The vice mayor and several councilors of Isabela, Negros Occidental refuted the claims of Mayor Irene Montilla that politics is the reason for the disapproval of the supplemental budget requested by the latter for job order (JO) employees of the local government.

In a press conference last week, Montilla blamed Renato “JR” Malabor Jr. and the municipal councilors for the non-release of the salary of 447 JO employees for Oct 15 to Nov 15, 2021.

Montilla implied that “there seems to be a pattern of political obstructionism that is being played again.”

The mayor and Malabor along with majority of the town councilors belong to opposing political groups.

In a press conference during the weekend, Malabor and three councilors said they have been asking for a list of the JO employees and their contracts during the deliberation of the budget.

With the vice mayor in the press conference are Councilor Francis Malabor, chairperson of the Committee on Budget and Finance; Councilor Henry Foscablo, chairperson of the Committee on Laws; and Councilor Jose Jonel Magallon, chairperson of the Committee on Personnel.

As presiding officer, Malabor said he sympathized with the plight of the JO employees as he urged the executive and the members of the municipal council to resolve the issue.

If the list of the JO employees and the contract are provided by the executive department under Montilla, Malabor said the supplemental budget is “good as approved.”

Councilor Francis Malabor said the salaries of the JOs was already included in the P17-million allocation of the 2021 budget.

He also corrected reports that the council is asking for the list of the JO employees because of the supplemental budget requested by the mayor.

“We have been asking for the list ever since but more so now because, their salaries are supposed to be already included in the P17 million. Why is the budget already exhausted?” Councilor Malabor said.

He added that their request for the list is also in the spirit of transparency and in line with the function of the Sanggunian to maintain check and balance.

He also said that the authority of the mayor in hiring and appointing personnel has nothing to do with the issue.

“We are not questioning that.”

Foscablo said that he saw no reason why the mayor continues to refuse to give them the list of the JO employees.

“Is there something she is hiding?” Foscablo asked.

He said Montilla can resolve the issue by ordering the Human Resource Office to print the list and provide it to the municipal council.