Traffic officer faces relief for moonlighting

AN officer of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) faces the prospect of being fired from service after he was found to be working for a transport network service during office hours.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he heard about the officer, whose name is being withheld pending further investigation, who supposedly worked for Uber during office hours.

The Citom officer is said to be a regular employee who had been working in City Hall for 19 years.

Osmeña said he received a text message from a concerned citizen about the officer’s moonlighting.

“I want to thank the people for telling me. I am finding out many many things in the city,” he said.

Lawyer Amay Abella, who heads the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO), said she talked to the Citom officer yesterday and he admitted that he had been driving for Uber for some time now while on duty.

“On our end, we will file dishonesty (case) because there is sufficient grounds to do so,” Abella said.

She said the officer can still report for work since there is no preventive suspension filed against him.

Abella said government employees can pursue other jobs if they ask permission and authority from the mayor.

“Yes (it is possible). They will be given authority by the mayor. They have to comply with the civil service regulation and no government time must be used outside City Hall. That is what he missed,” Abella said.