Tribunalo, Meca to ‘separate from service’ after downgrading of Capitol offices

Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. | CDN File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The chiefs of two Capitol offices have opted to leave government service when the downgrading of their respective offices becomes effective on November 18.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Chief Baltazar Tribunao Jr. and Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) Head Carmen Remedios Durano-Meca no longer applied for the position of division head, said Capitol Consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda.

Sepulveda said that those who will opt to already separate from government service will receive severance pay that is equivalent to a month’s salary for every year of service that they rendered at Capitol.

In a separate interview, Tribunalo said he opted to separate from service to show his respect to the new administration. He also wanted to give Governor Gwendolyn Garcia the freedom to exercise her prerogative to select the new division chief.

But Tribunalo, who worked as Capitol consultant on disaster risk management for a year and PDRRMO head for five years,  said that he was still willing to extend his assistance to the provincial government if he is tapped to do so.

After the end of his employment with Capitol on November 18, Tribunalo said he plans to rejoin an international nongovernment organization to his continue his DRRM practice.

Tribunalo used to work for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and humanitarian organization Plan International before he joined Capitol.

Downgrading

Garcia ordered the downgrading of PDRRMO, CPADAO, Cebu Provincial Investment and Promotions Office (CPIPO) and the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) from their present status as Capitol departments into mere divisions that will be placed under the Office of the Governor.

Downgrading was made possible with the passage of the reorganization ordinance that was sponsored by Garcia’s allies in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Under the reorganization ordinance, PDRRMO will only have 10 plantilla positions or 27 positions less than its original plantilla.

CPADAO’s manpower will be cut from 49 to only seven while CPIPO will only be left with 7 personnel from the original count of 30.  PTO, on the other hand, will be left with only 7 of its 50 existing personnel.

In all, the four offices will only be left with a total of 31 of its 166 original personnel count.

Garcia already filled the seven positions under the PTO.

She ordered the creation of a placement committee to scout for candidates who may occupy the 24 slots available for the three other divisions.

Atty. Sepulveda, a member of the placement committee, said they already sent notices to the affected employees to determine who among them would want to continue their service with Capitol.

He said that Tribunalo has expressed his intention to already leave Capitol while Meca has not yet sent reply to the notice.

Sepulveda said that failure to send a formal reply to their notice will be taken as opting to already separate from government service.

But unlike Tribunalo and Meca, CPIPO head Floreza Alpuerto already signified her intention to apply for the division chief position.

Sepulveda said that existing employees of the four offices will be given priority during the hiring process. But he clarified that Garcia will still have the final say on the hiring of personnel. / dcb