JULY 16, 2023: A glimpse at the facade of the Cebu City Hall. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The four regular employees of Cebu City Hall, who haven’t been paid since July 2023, are now on leave due to stress.
This happened after the Office of the Ombudsman issued a suspension order against Mayor Michael Rama and seven other officials for the alleged illegal reassignment and withholding of salaries of these four employees.
Sybil Ann Ybañez, one of the affected employees, said in a phone interview on Thursday that the situation has taken a toll on their mental health. They plan to return to work on Monday if things improve.
Moreover, they decided to take leave because they felt intimidated by another City Hall employee who supports the mayor.
“[Niingon og] baga’g nawng, giapil [pa] si mayor, giingnan pako’g paky*,” Ybañez said.
READ: DILG-7 on Rama suspension: Still no orders from Central Office, Ombudsman
Ombudsman suspends Cebu City mayor, 7 others
As of Thursday morning, the office of the Department of Interior and Local Government here (DILG-7) is still waiting for the orders from the Central Office regarding the preventive suspension order imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman on Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.
As of Thursday morning, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-7) is still waiting for orders from the Central Office regarding Rama’s preventive suspension ordered by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Rama was suspended due to allegations of grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a public official, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest, among other things.
This decision arose from a case involving the reassignment of city hall employees, resulting in 10 months of unpaid wages. The employees’ legal counsel advised them to take leave because of this situation.
They brought the issue to the media’s attention on April 16 in hopes of prompting action from the city government, which has promised to address their concerns. | with reports from Pia Piquero
/clorenciana