Newsbriefs

CPA WORKERS ALREADY RECEIVED BONUSES

EVEN with a Commission on Audit (COA) refund order, workers of the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) each received their P10,000 cash gifts and year-end two-month basic-salary bonus this month.

“I already got my share,” CPA deputy general manager Yusop Uckung said.

He said the midyear one-month basic salary bonus was released last June while the remaining P40,000 of the total P50,000 cash gift may be released later or before the year ends.

State auditors earlier asked the CPA to refund P31.79-million worth of Christmas and midyear benefits for its employees from 2009 to 2010.

They said the allocations were released without approval from the Department of Budget and Management.

“That’s not illegal because we just followed the court order, which was final and executory. We have to obey the decision of the court; otherwise, we will be charged for contempt,” Uckung said.

Despite the COA disallowance order, the CPA still released the huge Christmas and midyear  benefits for its 151 regular workers.

CPA also violated the law on the annual Christmas bonus to government officials or Republic Act 6686, the COA said.

State auditors likewise questioned extra perks called traditional benefits aside from those specified under RA 6686.

The traditional benefits consisted of a midyear one-month basic salary bonus, year-end two-month basic-salary bonus and P50,000 cash gift.

Uckung recalled that when CPA was still attached to the Philippine Ports Authority, the workers had already been receiving these perks.

In 1992, former Cebu City congressman Raul del Mar passed the charter for CPA; and after more than three years of transition, the workers from the PPA were completely transferred to CPA in 1996.

Uckung said the PPA workers were resistant to be assigned to the CPA until they were assured that the benefits will be continued under the CPA management.

In 1998, the employees went to court to oblige the CPA management to release the benefits.

The court ruled in 2001 to give those benefits to the workers.

Uckong said the CPA collection already reached more than P600 million, a portion of which can be allocated to the workers.

He pointed out CPA’s funding of improvement projects including road rehabilitation in the different ports of Cebu City. Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan

ADDITIONAL COURTS FOR MANDAUE

MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes welcomed the proposal of Cebu 6th district Rep. Gabriel Luis Quisumbing to create three more Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Mandaue City.

“The timing is really perfect since we’re also going to expand the Hall of Justice in barangay Subangdaku,” Cortes told Cebu Daily News yesterday afternoon.

Quisumbing passed House bill 3770 in Congress asking for the creation of three additional RTCs in the city. The bill was scheduled for second reading yesterday.

The Supreme Court will be assigning the branch numbers if the creation of additional RTCs will be approved.

The budget for the creation of additional RTCs will be taken from General Appropriations Act. Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos

MANDAUE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS EYED

ABOUT P30 million was allocated for the construction of drainage systems in flood-prone areas in Mandaue City, Mayor Jonas Cortes said yesterday.

He said the funds were realigned from other items because he wants to prioritize infrastructures like drainage systems, schools and road repairs.

Cortes said the construction of drainage systems will start before this year ends.

Last month, heavy rains caused massive flooding in many Mandaue City barangays, resulting in some of them being placed under calamity status.

Cortes also asked the City Council to evaluate the financial status of some of the city’s projects. Correspondent Fe Marie Dumaboc