Barangay envi officers decry pay freeze

THEY worked as Barangay Environment Officers (BEOs) since January this year.

Their names also appear on the list of Cebu City’s BEOs concurred by the City Council through Resolution no. 12-5233-2013 passed on March 13.

But Judith Montoya and Panfilo Presbitero of barangay Lahug were not among those who received their P4,000 monthly honorarium last week.

Montoya and Presbitero wrote Grace Luardo, in charge of the City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET) asking why they have not received their honorarium since April.

Montoya and Presbitero told Luardo in their June 4 letter that they have been working as barangay Lahug BEOs since October 2010.

But Mayor Michael Rama said that the two BEOs should address their letter to him so that he could look into their concern.

Rama also denies any hand on the non-payment of the BEO’s P4,000 monthly allowance.

“Let them write to me because I’m not aware of that,” Mayor Rama said when sought for comment.

An official of the City Hall who did not want to be named said Montoya and Presbitero’s case may be related to politics.

Most of the unpaid BEOs supported Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) in the last election, said the official.

Each of the city’s barangays have at least five BEOs who are tasked to oversee compliance to the solid waste management program.

Montoya and Presbitero are among the 353 BEOs whose employment contracts were renewed for the period of January 1 to June 30, 2013.

Their names also appear on the masterlist of BEOs mentioned in March 13, 2013 council resolution which also authorized the appropriation of P8.5 million for the payment of their honorarium.