Thursday, November 06, 2008 Malig: Onion-skinned? By Jun A. Malig Cognition
I HAVE heard about and seen confusing headlines in newspapers and online versions of some Philippine and international publications that seem to have double or unclear meanings.
Some were even comical. Examples: "If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile," "Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says," "Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges," "Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy," and "Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead."
These headlines were actually published by some international newspapers.
Now let's talk about something that most Kapampangans I know find to be already "sickening." Yes, I'm talking about the seemingly unending feud between our honorable reverend governor and our equally honorable coach vice governor and his board member teammates.
Wait, am I writing like a pro-Panlilio or anti-Panlilio now? Comments like these, especially those that come from some "honorable" gentlefolk, really make my day. It's like reading the confusing headlines.
Our front page carried the "Guv's letter irks PB" report Wednesday. Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao, according to our staff reporter, described Gov. Ed Panlilio's letter as "obviously threatening and uncalled for."
Panlilio, on the other hand, insisted that he never intended to threaten the PB or anyone.
The point of contention? The third paragraph of Panlilio's letter to the PB last Oct. 30 which, according to our reporter, reads: "Again, in order to avoid lawsuit which will be inimical to the interest of the province, may I request that their salaries and wages commensurate to their positions and appointments be released."
Here's the background. The reverend governor was asking the PB to release the fund for the salaries of quarry monitoring personnel who were hired by the Provincial Government as salary grades 5 and 7 employees. They got lesser payments after the PB downgraded their compensation to grade 1.
In civil service, officers and employees are classified according to ranks with corresponding salary grades. The higher the rank, the higher the salary. Salary grade 1 is the lowest compensation.
Vice Governor Guiao and some, if not all, board members took the third paragraph of Governor Panlilio's letter as a threat. Intentional or otherwise, they interpreted the said paragraph as "threatening" and "uncalled for."
In our paper's report, the reverend governor stressed that the letter did not mean that the PB members were the ones "to be filed cases against."
"What we are trying to say is the employees (quarry checkers) might file a lawsuit against us because they're not paid correctly," Provincial Administrator Vivian Dabu, the governor's left and right hand woman, clarified.
So what's the real issue?
Let's sum it up. The reverend governor is asking the august body to release the necessary fund for the salary grades 5 and 7 compensation of quarry workers, as they received only salary grade 1 compensation.
In the third paragraph, the governor stated: "Again, in order to avoid lawsuit which will be inimical to the interest of the province, may I request that their salaries and wages commensurate to their positions and appointments be released."
If you are one of the honorable members of the board, would you be threatened by this paragraph?
Do you think the governor was actually threatening the PB with lawsuit or the former was really just reminding the PB against the possible lawsuit that may be filed by the "shortchanged" quarry checkers?
