Citom staff to receive stipend this week

PERSONNEL of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) can collect their honorarium this week after the Human Resources Development and Office (HRDO) issued their appointment papers last Friday.

Citom head Rafael Yap said he already ordered the processing of appointment papers for his 537 personnel so they could receive their honoraria computed to start from Jan. 1.

But Yap said the contracts of 13 traffic enforcers and two parking aides won’t be renewed after Jan. 31 due to their poor performance and misbehavior.

The 13 Citom traffic enforcers include one who jumped out of the Citom building to avoid a mandatory drug testing held last month.

“What he did was tantamount to disobedience and under the Civil Service Commission law that is punishable by suspension or dismissal from service,” Yap told Cebu Daily News.

About 16 Citom personnel initially tested positive for drug use.

They were later cleared based on the result of the confirmatory testing on their urine samples.

“Cosap (City Office of Substance Abuse Prevention)can explain the process,” Yap said.

He said similar incidents occurred in the past during initial drug testing done by Cosap in which residue from medications were found in urine samples of the Citom personnel.

“That’s why we don’t name the employee. We should never make conclusions unless the test result is confirmed since it has a traumatic effect on the person. What’s also embarrassing is that he or she won’t get paid,” Mayor Michael Rama told reporters. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac