Cebu City Council OKs release of unpaid salaries for 4 employees

The Cebu City Hall at night. | CDN Digital photo by Rick Gabuya

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City Council recently approved the release of the remaining unpaid salaries of four City Hall employees a month after they reported their plight to the local press.

The Cebu City Council approved today, May 15, the release of the remaining six months’ worth of salaries for four employees, who initially reported that they had not been paid since July 2023 or 10 months ago.

The resolution was authored by City Councilor Noel Wenceslao and was approved on Wednesday, May 15, during the council’s regular session. Subsequently, the approved resolution will be submitted to the Office of the Executive Department for the release of funds.

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The resolution indicated a total amount of P1,083,232.16 to cover the unpaid salaries for the four regular employees who were previously under the Office of City Assessors and are now under the Office of the City Administrator.

The employees are Filomena Atuel, Sybil Ann Ybañez, Ma. Almicar Diongzon, and Chito Dela Cerna.

These individuals were the four employees who filed complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman, which led to the preventive suspension of City Mayor Michael Rama and seven other city hall officials for six months.

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On April 16, 2024, the four employees brought their salary issue to the media’s attention. They sought help to prompt action from the city government, which had repeatedly promised to address their concerns.

The following day, suspended City Administrator Collin Rosell held a press conference to explain the situation.

He then stated that the employees had not received their salaries because they failed to report to their respective departments after a reassignment order was issued.

However, seven days after Rosell’s press conference, the media received a report from one of the employees, Sybil Ann Ybañez.

She stated that the payroll for their January to April 2024 unpaid salaries had been processed. However, their salaries from July to December 2023 were still pending, awaiting approval by the city administrator and the Sanguniang Panglungsod.

Then, on May 2, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia assumed the role of acting mayor following Mayor Rama’s suspension. He immediately instructed the new city administrator to expedite the payment of the employees’ unpaid salaries.

Later that day, he met with the employees and assured them that their salaries would be released by Monday, May 20.