Thursday, April 12, 2007 City’s workers putting up posters? By Garry Cabotaje Sun.Star Staff Reporter
THE camp of mayoral aspirant Gabriel Leyson will file a complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the allegedly rampant and deliberate use of Talisay City Hall’s resources by administration candidates.
Leyson of the Lakas-CMD and the local Abante-Talisay party said they got persistent reports about the alleged use of City-owned multicabs and job-order personnel in putting up campaign posters of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) bets led by reelectionist Mayor Socrates Fernandez.
The latest incident, he said, was the putting up of propaganda materials reportedly by job-order staff in Sitio Kimba in Barangays San Roque and Cansojong last Tuesday morning.
A multicab bearing a government license plate (red) and carrying job-order personnel was also reportedly seen parked along R. Rabaya St.
“Actually, my candidacy is not affected by this illegal use of government resources, but what is stated by law must be followed,” Leyson said.
Volunteers
Sought for comment, Fernandez said that neither government multicabs nor job-order workers were used to advance their candidacies for May 14.
“They’re not job orders but merely volunteer workers of the party,” said Fernandez.
Leyson vowed to also file a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
The former Cebu City councilor raised this matter a day after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued a warning against government workers engaging in partisan political activities.
CSC 7 Director David Cabanag Jr. said that government employees, who include permanent appointees, coterminous employees, casual and contractual workers, are banned from directly or indirectly engaging in any partisan political activity.
The CSC added that these erring employees can be charged with grave misconduct, which entails a penalty of dismissal from service.
Reelectionist Councilor Alan Bucao, who is running in Leyson’s slate, earlier said they have video footage and pictures to show that City Hall resources were used in the political activities of administration bets.
He said they also have witnesses who are willing to execute affidavits once a formal case is filed before the Comelec.
