AT least six more workers, this time traffic enforcers, are ouf of a job after their contracts were not renewed by Cebu City Hall.
Mayor Michael Rama said their supervisors recommended their exit for reasons such as misconduct and abuses in the performance of their duties.
Last week, 15 workers of the Department of Welfare of the Urban Poor, suffered the same fate.
Rama said this was nothing to be surprised about.
He recalled that his predecessor, former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña, didn’t renew appointments of over 600 employees upon his return to the mayor’s office.
From July 1 to July 31, 2001, there were 794 employees who didn’t return after their contracts were not renewed, Rama said.
“For me to give my concurrence, you have to substantiate the recommendation for nonrenewal,” Rama said.
Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young questioned the timing of the mayor’s decision ,suggesting it was a form of political retaliation. Young said he doesn’t question the mayor’s authority not to renew the contracts so long as the decision removes nonperforming workers.
“The problem is he announced that he will do a loyalty check after he left the BO-PK. That already raises doubts,” Young said.
In yesterday’s press conference, City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) chief Rafael Yap said he recommended the nonrenewal of contracts of six traffic personnel because of misconduct, abuses in the performance of their works and accusations of corruption.
Most of them had served for five years.
They were no longer required to report for work starting July 1.
Yap said there is “strong information” that the six are engaged in a collection scheme where they receive money from motorists.
Aside from casuals, Rama has ordered the performance evaluation of City Hall consultants.
Cebu City Hall has 42 consultants. Most of them were hired by the past adminstration. Only nine were engaged by Rama.
These nine consultants rendered service to the mayor’s office from January to June.
All, except one, receive P18,000 a month.
Only former councilor Nestor Archival, the mayor’s consultant on environment, receivesa token P1 a year fee.
Rama said contract renewals depend on how they would rate in their performance evaluation.
“Consultancy is based on trust and confidence. During the time that there is no more trust, they will not be rehired as consultants,” he said.
Pending a review of their performance, consultants can continue to work for the service.
If they pass the evaluation and their consultancy contract is renewed, they would receive back payments.
Rama said he is unafraid of Young’s threat that the council may give his office a hard time in renewing the contracts of his consultants in retaliation to the nonrenewal of the contracts of casuals. “Let’s just wait when they oppose,” the mayor said.
Rama said he isn’t firing anyone since he’s only terminating contracts.
He said long before he left the BO-PK in June 2, he already planned not to renew the contracts of some DWUP employees.
“Even if the council didn’t say it, I wasn’t going to renew some consultants under my office. You must remember that most of those consultants are from the previous administration,” Rama said.
/Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac, with Correspondent Edison delos Angeles