City Council OKs funding of P1.3M JO money claims

DONATION. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama (center) with Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella (right) and Councilors Mary Ann delos Santos and Hanz Abella (left) shows the P1 million check they received from the CFI board of directors headed by their president former RTC Judge Esperanza Garcia (third from right) as donation for the building of a new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) during the 77th Cebu City Charter Day. (CDN PHOTO/Junjie Mendoza)

The Cebu City Council yesterday approved a resolution authorizing the release of additional funds to  pay  the salaries of 20 job order employees who were  assigned to act as security personnel of the Pasil Fish Port.

Councilor Margot Osmeña said  that while   City Hall is now authorized to draw  P1.3 million from the city’s fidelity bonds account, another resolution is needed to authorize the payment of the personnel’s money claims.

The employees have not been paid their  honoraria from April to December last year.

Four more resolutions will have to be passed to authorize their employment from April to June 2013 and from July to December 2013.

With the approval of their hiring, two more resolutions are needed to authorize the charging of their salaries to the city’s fidelity bonds account, Osmeña said.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo said the executive department should brief the City Council prior to the hiring of job order personnel to prevent problems on the payment of their honoraria.

He also asked the Human Resources Development Office (HRDO) to review the employment record of JOs.

Carillo said labor laws require the employment of JOs as casual employees after six months of continuous employment.

Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos also wanted to be clarified on what is exactly is the use of the city’s fidelity bond funds and if they could be used to pay for security services. “This (fidelity bonds) was certified by the budget and accounting offices, so we will just base our action on their observation,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña, who chairs the council’s budget committee, told the council that while labor laws should apply to long-serving job order workers, she was told by HRDO chief Dominic Dino that the city has already reached its personnel services limit.