Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña discusses Barangay Ermita’s concerns over lunch with city officials allied with his Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) party in Barangay Ermita’s covered court. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Barangay Ermita may soon be able to pay the salaries of its employees and settle their power and water bills.
Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, executive assistant of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, said they were given the go signal by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to process the payments.
“The DILG said Mayor Osmeña has the authority to disburse funds of the barangay as long as its for ordinary expenses only. We explained the situation to them that it is very critical, utilities are not paid, workers are not paid. There is a vacuum,” he said.
Fernandez said this was relayed to him by DILG 7 director Rene Burdeos who also got the opinion from DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero yesterday morning.
He said they will still wait for a written opinion from the DILG.
Osmeña also paid a visit to Barangay Ermita yesterday where he had lunch with Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) city councilors, city officials and some residents who are supporters.
Lawyer Winefredo Orcullo Jr. and SPO1 Adonis Dumpit were also present during the visit.
The mayor said he decided to visit the barangay since he has not been there for quite some time already and he wanted to check on the situation.
“The issue is basically whether we can sign (documents). The answer is yes. We have authority to sign,” Osmeña said.
But Osmeña said only those barangay employees who actually work will be paid.
He issued this reminder to Orcullo whom he appointed as his representative to oversee the barangay.
Osmeña issued a memo to all barangay employees of Ermita requiring them to submit daily time records to be signed by Orcullo.
The time records will serve as basis for the release of their salaries, the mayor said.
Orcullo said he informed Ermita barangay secretary Erwin Peñafort about the mayor’s visit.
But he said he was told by the secretary that only he will be around since the rest of the barangay’s workers refused to show up to meet the mayor.
“We can’t force them because their sympathy is still with the suspended barangay captain. That’s okay as long as they perform their regular functions.
If there are problems, they can contact me,” Orcullo told reporters.
He admitted that he will enforce the mayor’s new memo despite the lack of cooperation from the barangay employees.
Peñafort was around to greet the mayor and the city officials during their arrival at the barangay’s sports complex where they had their lunch.
He shook hands with the mayor but they didn’t talk extensively.
“As the city mayor, we respect him. He is welcome to visit the barangay. We are also happy that the city will help us with our problems,” he said.
Peñafort told reporters that their top concerns are the payment of power and water bills and the salaries of employees that were delayed for two months.