Education office asked to give update on JO teachers probe

ANGELES CITY -- Representative Carmelo Lazatin has asked the Angeles City Division of City Schools Superintendent Luz Arriola for an update on the investigation on 10 public school teachers from Northville Elementary School who were allegedly hired as job order employees of the City Government under the administration of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

In a letter addressed to Arriola, Lazatin cited reports claiming that several people, whose names were included in the list of job order employees in the Cultural Mapping Program of the City Tourism Office, denied receiving salaries of P600 to P650 per day.

A copy of Lazatin’s letter has been forwarded to President Benigno Aquino III and Department of Education Secretary Brother Armin Luistro.

One of the said teachers is Catherine Garcia, daughter of Barangay Lourdes Sur Kagawad Daniel Gutierrez, reportedly claimed that she participated in the program voluntarily and did not receive any salary from the City Government.

Earlier, senior citizens leader Francisco Esguerra, whose name was also included in the list, also denied receiving salary from the city government.

In his appearance in a local radio show, Esguerra explained that he, along with other members of the senior citizens’ federation, participated in the Cultural Mapping as volunteers and did not receive the said P600 to P650 daily salary.

Also included in the job order list is Barangay Margot kagawad Nenita Ferrer who, earlier, joined several other alleged “ghost employees” in filing a Supplemental Complaint Affidavit before the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon.

The affidavit filed by Ferrer and other witnesses supported the complaint filed by local mediaman Robledo Sanchez against Pamintuan, City Accountant Wilfredo Tiotuico, City Budget Officer Fe Corpuz, and City Treasurer Juliet Quinsaat in relation to the controversial job order appointments of the City Government.

Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Adoracion Agbada recently ordered Pamintuan and company to submit their Counter Affidavit within a period of 10 days upon the receipt of the order.

Sanchez revealed that on January 7, he received a copy of the Motion for Extension of Time submitted by Pamintuan and company asking the Deputy Ombudsman to extend the period of filing their Counter Affidavit and grant them an additional 15 days from January 7 to January 22.7. (Reynaldo G. Navales)