CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Vice Governor Joseller "Yeng" Guiao on Monday hit back at Governor Eddie Panlilio regarding the controversial, unreleased P20,000 Christmas bonuses of the Capitol's 2,100 employees.
Guiao hit Panlilio for his alleged "ignorance" on the budget process, performance evaluation, and for issuing "unjustifiable and irrational" statements regarding the Christmas bonuses of the Capitol employees.
On December 22, last year, the Provincial Board (PB) led by Guiao has issued Ordinance 378 approving the release of the bonuses to all regular and casual employees of the Provincial Government, but Panlilio has insisted that only P10,000 would be granted the employees as the other P10,000 would be given only to employees who performed well based on an evaluation and appraisal process.
In his statements then, Panlilio lashed at the vice governor and the PB for their non-attendance of flag raising rites and for reporting to work only once a week as well as for not using required biometrics and wearing proper uniforms.
"Is it justifiable that the vice governor and I both receive equally when he reports to the Capitol one day a week if ever he does and I work on a regular basis?" queried Panlilio on his official statements.
Panlilio added that according to the law, it is he who makes the supplemental budgets, like funds for the bonuses, and not the PB.
But Guiao said that no matter how small or big the requested bonus is, it has to merit the approval of the PB prior to its implementation.
"Iyung sinasabi niyang hindi namin siya pwedeng pakialaman, he is ignorant. He does not know the budget process," he said, adding the PB will not immediately revoke Ordinance 378 with justifiable reasons coming from the executive and that the issue of the bonuses would have to be shelved for the time being until the budget hearing for this year is conducted.
On the performance evaluation and attendance noted by Panlilio, Guiao told Sun.Star Pampanga: "You cannot equate performance with how many days you go to your office. When he says we go to our offices once a week that is, the session.
Legislation is judged by the results and the outputs of the PB. There is no backlog in our office. There is no unattended issue and everything in the PB and the Office of the vice governor is up-to-date. We have reported on our accomplishments."
Guiao added that the problem of Panlilio in evaluating himself and his office the lack of targets for the year.
"His problem is that he does not have any targets. He did not set any objectives in the first place, like in terms of infrastructure, how many kilometers of roads have to be constructed? How many classrooms for schools? How many Philhealth cards? How many additional scholars? How many millions in investments for the province? How much employment should be generated? Nothing, eh," Guiao said, quipping "So how can he say he is performing well? What is his basis?"
He said Panlilio should manage by objectives, stop issuing mother statements and refrain from blaming others.
"And look. Ang budget namin dito ay P5-million lang compared to his P32 million plus all the intelligence funds and supplemental budgets. Pero mas marami kaming natutulungan judging on the number of people seeking assistance everyday at the PB. What does he want us to do? We have approved the budgets he needs and he should work on that," said Guiao.
"The governor has no accomplishments. He thrives on intrigues. There are no concrete accomplishments based on objectives set early last year. Dapat iyon ang ginawa niya so there can be proper matters that can be evaluated. So what is happening now is iyung ating mga kawawang empleyado ang naiipit because of his ignorance of legislative processes," he said.