Peso head defies councilor on scholars issue

AN OFFICIAL said Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. claimed that it’s the Mayor’s Office’s responsibility for paying the 25 scholars that the legislator recommended to avail Bacolod City’s Scholarship Program.

Public Employment Service Office (Peso) acting officer-in-charge Moises S.D.G. de la Cruz said the unpaid scholars are the sole responsibility of Gamboa because they did not undergo the process based on the requirements of City Ordinance 386 series of 2005.

“According to the process, they have to apply directly to the committee and not through any councilor. The councilor should understand that Peso which I head is only an implementor and is not an approving body… and I am not an approving officer,” said Dela Cruz.

“It is the Scholarship Program Committee, which is headed by the mayor as chairman and Councilor Gasataya as vice chairman and seven other members, who approve the list of those who are applying for scholarships. The applicants has to submit documents to prove that they are worthy of such scholarship and have to take an examination to prove their qualification,” dela Cruz said.

Dela Cruz further explained that the legislator’s scholars did not undergo this process.

“He informed us through his uncle Mr. Alex Coloso, who is also an Executive Assistant, that he has P100,000 and he will be giving this as scholarship to some poor students, which I even praised at that time as a worthy project. Mr. Gamboa should know that every scholars of the city has his or her own folder and is reviewed from time to time in order that the Scholarship Program Committee can determined if the student can still avail of the scholarship,” he added.

“The 25 scholars are scholars of Mr. Gamboa, therefore it is his responsibility to pay for them and not point fingers. We at Peso or even only one of my staff saw anyone of the students as they applied at his office and during that time he keeps on mentioning that they are his scholars and not of the city, so again he has the responsibility to pay them. He never sent us any communication that he is recommending his scholars to be scholars of the city,” dela Cruz explained.

Dela Cruz expects that through this, matters will be clarified.

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