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Thursday, December 29, 2005
Mayor to extend advisor contracts
By Danilo V. Adorador III
MAYOR Vicente Emano said he would extend the services of his 12 consultants next year, adding that trust and confidence are enough to guarantee the renewal of their contracts.
The mayor was responding to opposition Councilor Zaldy Ocon's allegations that most of his appointed consultants were useless to the City Government since they don't have either experience or expertise in their respective fields.
Some of the consultants even had vague roles, Ocon said, as no designations were assigned next to their names in the city ordinance providing for the renewal of their contracts.
While P2 million was set aside for the consultants in next year's budget, City Hall employees voiced dismay for not receiving the P5,000 Christmas incentive, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had earlier promised to state employees.
Emano said they already gave a P750 rice allowance, which he explained is already considered a "bonus" to each employee.
He said adding the P5,000 bonus would be against regulations of the Department of Budget and Management on local government units.
Earlier, Ocon tried to delay the passage of the ordinance Monday but his motion was lost when no one seconded it from the administration-dominated City Council.
Ocon also questioned the process of selection in hiring consultants, saying the new government procurement system requires a bidding on said job items.
Emano in a radio interview countered that under the law, trust and confidence of the appointing authority, himself in this case, supersede all other rules governing the hiring of consultants.
Councilor Maryanne Enteria supported Emano's claim saying that bidding process is only one of the options provided by law, but is not mandatory.
Emano also defended the re-appointment of former Councilor Ramon Tabor as consultant of the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
Tabor's re-appointment was earlier assailed by Ocon and pro-administration Councilor Alfonso Goking.
Goking who accused Tabor of sleeping in his job, said the public might blame City Hall if it renewed the services of the controversial traffic czar.
Ocon had earlier tied Tabor to the alleged RTA ID scam.
Brushing aside criticisms on his performance, Tabor said, he was placing his fate as traffic chief to Emano.
He said politics might be behind the alleged character assassination launched against him by his critics. (With a report from Sun.Star SuperBalita)
(December 29, 2005 issue)
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