‘Floating’ former Cebu city admin to be named info officer

Jose Marie Poblete

Jose Marie Poblete is one the trusted men of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. When he was city administrator, Poblete was almost always within earshot of the mayor wherever he goes.
Poblete was recently given a new hat at City Hall, as city engineer, yet he has no regular appointment from the Mayor’s Office.

To remedy Poblete’s quirky situation, Rama is appointing him Information Officer IV, a plantilla position that has been vacant since 1995.

A lawyer and an engineer, Poblete was appointed acting city engineer vice  Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez who was moved to head the City Planning and Development Office in the January revamp.

Eugene Elizalde replaced Poblete as city administrator.

Technically, Poblete cannot be appointed as regular replacement of Enriquez because she holds a tenured position as city engineer.

NO APPROPRIATION

Further complicating Poblete’s situation is the lack of appropriation in the 2014 budget for an Information Officer IV position.

Human Resources and Development Officer Dominic Diño however said that money is not a problem as they can source Poblete’s salary from the lump sum budget of the Office of the City Administrator.

But to do this, they have to ask authority from the City Council.

Diño said they have asked Councilor Dave Tumulak to sponsor the needed resolution to authorize the “augmentation” of budget for Poblete’s salary and benefits amounting to P654,544.88. This will cover his monthly salary of P42,652, bonuses and contributions to GSIS, PhilHealth and Pagibig.

LESSER SALARY

Poblete will be getting a lesser salary as Information Officer IV as compared to the salary of a city administrator.

But the good thing said Diño is that Poblete will be having a plantilla position, compared to the co-terminus nature of the city administrator position.

The function of information officer is currently being handled by Carlo Dugaduga who holds a casual appointment.

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