MABALACAT CITY – A technical malversation case was lodged at the Office of the Ombudsman against Mayor Crisostomo Garbo and four other city government officials for the missing P42 million two-month salaries of some 2,585 contractual workers here.
Mabalacat Councilors Rogelio Yumul and Jerry Basilio lodged the joint complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City on Friday for the “illegal use of public funds under Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code.”
(L-R) Mabalacat City Councilors Rogelio ‘Jeng’ Yumul and Jerry Basilio, Vice Mayor Christian Halili and Pampanga Press Club President Deng Pangilinan during the breakfast forum Talk Widus at Widus Hotel & Casino, Clark Freeport. (Ric Gonzales Photo)
Mabalacat Vice Mayor Christian Halili (Ric Gonzales Photo)
The four other Mabalacat officials are Atty. Aileen C. Rigor, City Accountant; Acting Treasurer Marlene M. Mendiola; Merla P. De Leon, Human Resources and Management Officer; and Acting Budget Officer Narce P. Paquia.
In the Joint Complaint Affidavit of Yumul and Basilio, it indicated that some 2,585 Job Order (contractual) workers did not yet receive their salaries for November and December 2018. The salaries of 1,585 contractual workers were already appropriated in the 2018 budget while the salaries of additional 1,000 contractual workers were appropriated in the P72 million budget approved last August 2018 for the salaries and compensation of the newly created position, maintenance and other operating expense.
A contractual worker receives P8,160 per month. Each worker should receive two months salary amounting to P16,320. The city government should pay a total of P42,187,200 for the 2,585 contractual employees.
The complaint noted the salaries intended for the 2,585 contractual workers were given to other contractual employees with special rates and receiving between P10,000 and P50,000 per month.
On November 29, 2018, Yumul requested a list of contractual employees receiving special rates but it was not known if Human Resources and Management Officer De Leon provided the identities, job description and salaries of these “special workers.”
“It was suspicious that the request for budget for the additional 1,000 Jos is being made less than six (6) months remaining in the fiscal year of 2018, and less than one year from the coming election in 2019,” the complaint said.
“What is more disturbing is that another supplemental budget was requested in the amount of P204 million, when only two months is left in the current fiscal year.”
It further said: “We, the members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, are the ones being blamed for non-payment of wages of the JOs reasoning that we don’t want to approve the requested supplemental budget where in truth and in fact, the wages of the JOs have been allocated in the prior Supplemental Budget No 2, and the Executive Department has not given any reason for the 3rd request for a supplemtal budget.”
“The appropriations for other purposes are now fully spent or obligated and could not be explained by the local accountant while the resident auditor has been quiet on this matter.”