TWENTY-EIGHT Talisay City College (TCC) non-teaching personnel who received termination notice from Mayor Johny De los Reyes sought the help of Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas (1st district, Cebu Province) yesterday, giving him a copy of their manifestation.
“Please be informed that effective immediately, your services are hereby terminated,” the mayor’s memorandum last June 16 read, directing them to turn over all their school properties, records and other accountabilities.
In their four-page manifestation letter signed by the 28 non-teaching personnel, they questioned the mayor’s termination notice, demanded payment of their salary for six months, and questioned the reported huge deductions in their salaries.
They said it is the Board of Trustees (BOT), not the mayor, who has the right to hire and fire TCC teaching and non-teaching personnel.
They also asked the congressman, who is a member of TCC BOT, if the board discussed
their termination.
Gullas said that during their meeting last May 26, the BOT did not discuss the termination of the non-teaching personnel, and maintained a status quo of all non-teaching personnel.
“I think it’s unfair that they are unpaid for six monthsnow,” Gullas said, adding that the BOT has the authority to hire and terminate.
De los Reyes corrected the group and said it is former TCC president Richie Bacaltos who hired them and not the BOT. So it is him as the chairman of BOT who is now terminating their services.
Regarding their salaries and deduction, De los Reyes directed the non-teaching personnel’s concern to the accounting and budget office of the Talisay City Government.
Lira dela Torre, who stands as the terminated workers’ spokesperson, said the mayor’s memorandum is illegal and a grave abuse of discretion.
She said nothing in the city ordinance empowers the mayor to hire and fire TCC teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Loulette Zafra, one of the non-teaching personnel, also questioned the deduction, which reduced their P12,000 monthly pay to P7,830.
“We want to know the reason for this delay. Misulti sila namo nga sweldohan mi pero naa na’y deduction nga dako kaayo. Asa naman ang hustisya ani nga wala pa man among sweldo. They told us that they’ll pay us, but there is a big deduction. Where is justice when we remain unpaid?),” Zafra said.
Zafra said that if the BOT will terminate their services, they are willing to step down.