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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Afraid that tensions may again erupt in the municipality of Tudela in Camotes Island, northeastern Cebu, Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre has opted not to release the salaries of the town government?s casual and job order employees.
With two men claiming to be the mayor, Tudela also has two sets of casual and job order employees. Salubre said he did not want to make mistakes in disbursing the town?s funds despite earlier orders from Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to pay all workers, regular and casual, who were already working for the municipality before the conflict of the two mayors started.
?My concern is that if we pay only those hired before the legal controversy, then we would only end up paying those hired by (Rogelio) Baquerfo,? Salubre said. ?But there are also those who were hired by (Demetrio) Granada who have complete papers.?
?I have not paid the casuals for now because I was afraid that chaos may again erupt if the groups get jealous of each other,? Salubre told Cebu Daily News.
In his visit to the town last Saturday, Salubre released the pay of 50 regular employees of the municipality who have not been able to collect their salaries since the start of the conflict between Baquerfo and Granada.
The provincial treasurer said most operations in the municipal hall that are manned by regular employees were back. However, some services, especially those manned by casual and job order employees like garbage collection, have yet to resume.
Salubre said he wanted the conflict between the Baquerfo and Granada clarified so that he could pay the casual workers.
He said that if it were up to him, he would pay both sets of casual and job order employees as long as their employment was properly documented and they rendered work for the municipal government.
With the town?s annual feast on December 8, the clamor to be paid is urgent.
Casuals also need money for Christmas and to pay debts incurred over the past five months, Salubre said.
Baquerfo stakes his claim on the mayorship on the results of the May 2007 elections. He is recognized by the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Granada, on the other hand, won an election protest case against Baquerfo in the courts.
The Land Bank of the Philippines, with which the Tudela government keeps its money, has since refused to recognize checks issued by either man.
Last month, Governor Garcia invoked the general welfare clause of the Local Government Code and authorized the release of P3 million of the town?s funds to pay the backwages of town employees and to resume basic services to the townsfolk.
She assigned Salubre to release the pay of regular and casual workers, but only those who were hired before the conflict between Baquerfo and Granada started.
Garcia said she did not want to get involved in the conflict between the two ?mayors.? She said her takeover was only to make sure basic services for the town resumed.
