Danao City Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr. is facing yet another complaint for refusing to pay the salaries, wages, and benefits of 250 casual employees working in the city council.
This time, Danao City councilors are seeking the intervention of the Office of the President.
They asked President Benigno Aquino to remove the mayor from office or dismiss him.
They accused Durano of grave abuse of authority, oppression and violation of human rifhts, serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and unstisfactory conduct prejudicial to the service.
The running conflict is an offshoot of the feud between the mayor and his younger brother Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III, who leads the council.
The legal and political battle is being closely watched especially after President Aquino sealed an alliance between the Liberal Party and Nito Durano’s Bakud Party during the latter’s birthday in Danao City last July 7.
Last July 25, the mayor was orderd by the court to comply with Ordinance No. 03-12, which carried salaries, wages, and benefits of the casual employees.
But the mayor “defied the same and arrogantly declared before the media that he will not obey said Temporary Restraining Order,” said the complaint.
“As chief local executive, it is the duty of the respondent (Mayor Boy) to enforce the law… yet in this case, instead of following the law, without any valid reason and for his vested political interests, chose to defy the same,” the complainants said.
“Respondent’s acts are malicious; there is no justification for his unauthorized acts. He acts like a king and a petty tyrant who likens himself to be aboe or beyond the law,” they added.
The complainants are city councilors Carmen Remedios Meca, Cynthia Duterte, Jorge John Cane, Miguel Antonio Magpale, Jose Thaddeus Roble, Alejandro Lawas, Ramonette Cynthia Mahinay, Jovelina Enriquez, Roland Reyes, and Joselisa Hermoso.
They were assisted by lawyer Guiller Ceniza.
Three employees of the city council earlier filed indirect contempt charges against the mayor and two other officials for not complying with the order of the court to process and pay their casual employees.
Last July 26, Regional Trial Court Judge Sylvia Aguirre-Pedranga issued a TRO which in effect ordered city officials to pay the salaries and benefits of their 238 casual workers.
Mayor Boy vowed not to heed the court order.
The casual workers earlier filed a petition for mandamus and sought the issuance of a TRO, injunction, and damages.
The mayor, they said, issued a memorandum not to process thir payrolls.
The mayor sought a TRO from the court to stop the council from processing the release of P43 million for the casual employees.
Mayor Boy’s lawyer Gloria Lastimosa-Dalawampu said the “insertions” are “unlawful.”
She said the 238 casual workers were not included in the proposed budget for 2012 since their “services have ended.”