Back wages
They’ve been on the job for a month and several days and yet Compostela Mayor Joel Quiño and his officials aren’t going to get rid of former mayor Ritchie Wagas that easily.
Though the former mayor will deny involvement, several Compostela residents filed a petition recently questioning the collection of more than one year of back wages by Quiño and his council despite the fact that they only got to sit in office recently.
In a radio interview, Wagas kept repeating the phrase “no work, no pay” as the basis for his argument to penalize Quiño and his council since they haven’t worked a day in office after their proclamation was suspended based on the election protest he filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Now that they’re sitting officials, Wagas argued, the only salary they’re entitled is the first month they’ve been to office. To beef up his case, Wagas cited the case of former Rep. Clavel Martinez of Cebu’s 4th district, who assumed the seat after the Comelec ruled that he was the rightful winner and not then Rep. Benhur Salimbangon back in 2009.
Martinez, he said, didn’t start collecting his salary a period after he assumed office. But another lawyer who made a phone call during the interview pointed out that Salimbangon reportedly continued to receive his salary even after being ruled out by the Comelec.
Again Wagas will insist that the charges were filed by concerned Compostela residents who may or may not be his followers. But he has a point. Members of the local finance committee also helped themselves with the back wages, which makes them accountable as well.
Since it was the Capitol that pretty much released the funds and the salaries of the Compostela workers and officials due to the absence of a working municipal council, maybe the Commission on Audit would want to start from there.
It wouldn’t do good for Quiño and his council not to settle this case which, even if tainted with local politics, is no less valid and legitimate. Attempts by Cebu Daily News to contact Quiño to get his side on the issue were left unanswered.
As far as we can tell, they only managed to work a few days before they were told to leave the municipal hall pending the resolution of the election case filed by Wagas against them.
It may be unfair not to get their back wages since it wasn’t their fault that they didn’t serve more than a year after being proclaimed into office. Pending the resolution of the case by the Commission on Audit (COA), it would probably do no harm for Quiño and the council to place the money “in escrow” or deposited in some account until the case is resolved.
It’s not like they’ll go hungry after that; it is the town’s money after all and the proper agencies devoid of any political color will determine whether Quiño and the council deserve their back wages.
