Saturday, December 06, 2008 Rivals post bond for payment of Tudela workers
THE two men claiming the mayoral post of Tudela, Cebu agreed Thursday to pay the salaries of more than 100 municipal workers they each appointed when they took power.
Through the intercession of Cebu Gov. Gwen-dolyn Garcia, Rogelio Baquerfo, Jr. and Demet-rio Granada agreed to post a property bond to pay the salaries.
The property bond by the two men serves as a guarantee that the town government will be refunded once the court rules who of them did not have appointing authority from June 23 to Dec. 31, 2008.
The bond also serves as guarantee if government auditors disallow the allocation used to pay for salaries of workers appointed by Baquerfo and Granada.
“The bond posted by the person who has no authority shall be forfeited in favor of the Municipality of Tudela, Cebu during the period mentioned,” part of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) read.
Unpaid workers
At least 52 workers detailed in the office of Baquerfo have yet to receive their salaries for five months. Granada’s appointed workers remained unpaid for two months.
Baquerfo appointed the workers when he assumed office in July. Granada appointed his own workers after a court decision installed him as the town’s mayor a few months after Baquerfo was declared the winner of the May 2007 poll.
Those job-order workers are paid P110 a day to do various tasks such as garbage collection, clean and green programs, among others.
“Claiming to be the duly elected mayor of the Municipality of Tudela, Cebu, both parties have designated job-order workers who, until now, have not been paid their respective wages,” the agreement said.
The workers are reportedly split between the camp of Granada, who is the current mayor, and Baquerfo, declared winner by the poll body.
“The parties agree to respect, abide by and comply with all orders, writs and processes issued pursuant to law, in relation to the resolution of the conflict by proper authorities,” the MOA said.
Garcia signed a P1.6-million check for the salaries of the workers and the remaining regular and casual employees who also have yet to receive their pay.
More than 50 regular and casual town workers already received their salaries after Garcia signed the vouchers for the release of P3 million in salaries.
The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas recently suggested that with the leadership vacuum, Garcia should sign the town’s payroll.
Asserting the general welfare clause in the Local Government Code, the governor met with officials of Tudela, Capitol department heads and Land Bank assistant manager Llewylyn Cavite on the delayed release of the salaries.
Land Bank refused to release funds for the salaries while Baquerfo and Granada are fighting for the town’s top post.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had declared Baquerfo the winner of the May 2007 elections.
But the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 25 in Danao City nullified the proclamation and instead declared Granada the winner.
The Comelec First Division recently stopped the court from carrying out its ruling. (GMD)
