Withdraw case vs budget - ESamar prov’l employees appeal to SP

By EDEN CIDRO and MEDORA NB QUIRANTE
March 29, 2012

BORONGAN CITY  –  Employees of the Eastern Samar provincial government have declared March 30 as a Black Friday.

In a forum held on March 28 at the Provincial Capitol’s lobby, employees agreed that the easiest fix to their plight is to appeal to the six Sangguniang Panlalawigan members to withdraw the case they filed against the implementation of the province’s 2012 budget.

BMs Aldwin Aclao, Atty. Byron Suyot, Jojie Montallana, Atty. Enerio Sabulao, Jenny Baldono and Betty Reyes filed the case early February alleging the budget failed to get the required number of votes for its passage.

Fast forward to March 19, the regional trial court’s first branch issued a preliminary injunction against the said budget prohibiting all of the LGU’s financial transactions including the payment of employees’ salaries, wages and other benefits. The employees, in effect, did not receive their pay for the second half of the month due March 22.

“My family relies on what I make as an employee of the provincial government,” Sergio Amoyo, an employee of the province’s engineering department said. Amoyo added that if staging a “rally” is necessary for him to get his wages soon, “I will even volunteer to be one of the speakers.”

But employee union’s board of director Judee Paano denied previous reports that employees will stage a rally. “We will attend the SP’s session so we can have a dialogue with the board members who filed the case,” Paano said.

The delay in the payment of the employees’ salaries gave birth to other concern including payment to lending institutions. “I owe the banks and because I can’t pay my loans on time, the penalty will be an added burden,” Regal Opena, provincial agriculturist said.

According to Paano, the employees looked at several options but the need to find a quick fix to the problem made them decide to call for a withdrawal of the case. “If they withdraw the case, the LGU can proceed with the financial transactions and employees can get their pay immediately,” Atty. Christopher R. Coles, provincial legal officer said.

The provincial government also filed a motion for reconsideration with regards to the injunction order issued by the court.

What concerns Gov. Conrado B. Nicart Jr, aside from the clamor of the employees is the delivery of social services and debt servicing. “How do we manage the subsistence of the inmates in the four jails and patients in the eight hospitals that the province maintains?” Nicart told the employees.

The provincial government also pays P70M annually for the amortization of a loan used to purchase heavy equipment during the term of former governor Ben Evardone, now representative of Eastern Samar’s lone district. Provincial Accountant Vener Dulfo confirmed that if the province does not make the payments to the loan on time additional interest will be incurred.

“I need P700 for my mother’s medical expenses every day and I don’t know how long I can manage with this,” Lea Cargando, assistant provincial accountant said. With the legal battle over its annual budget, Cargando and more than 1,500 other LGU employees face an uncertain future daily.