THE top official of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD) said on Friday, February 17, that he was not surprised by the resignation of Vergel Lago, the city’s former weather monitoring chief.
But retired Colonel Verner Monsanto, CDRRMD overseer, said he did not expect Lago would leave sooner than expected.
Monsanto said he learned of Lago’s resignation on Wednesday after seeing a post in Lago’s social media account announcing the latter’s move to the province's disaster risk reduction and management office.
“I tried to tell him that he should leave his duties not sooner, on February 28 pa unta, for him to be able to transition sa mupuli sa iya, ingana man gyud na, naay trabaho, nga dili man gud maayo imong kuhaon ang tawo diha nga walay mupuli (to his replacement. It’s not good to leave the position without replacement), he should endorse it to the next person pa,” he said.
“Nagbuhat siya ug resignation letter nga February 28 pa siya dapat mohawa, pero wala niya gihatag nako didto lang nakita sa atong ubang staff sa iyang table ang letter, and it was only the other day nga nakita nako (He made a resignation letter effective on February 28, but he did not gave it to me. Our staff saw the letter in his table and I saw it the other day only),” Monsanto said.
Monsanto said Lago had previously expressed his intention to transfer to the Misamis Oriental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) and said Lago had, in fact, submitted an application to the PDRRMO some two years ago.
Monsanto also said he was aware of the conflict between Lago and City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Department (CDRRMD) head Allan Porcadilla did not think this would push Lago to leave.
“Ang pagka-department sa (The departmentalization of) CDRRMD was only December last year, so all the reasons nga ihatag niya (that he gave) regarding sa (on the) position is invalid, because 2015 pa siya nagsubmit ng application niya doon (he submitted his application on 2015),” he said.
Lago earlier accused CDRRMD head Allan Porcadilla of playing favorites, claiming that some employees "who actually have nothing to do in the office" got higher positions and salary compared to what he was receiving.
Porcadilla, in his defense, denied the accusations and instead cited Lago’s attitude problem.
Monsanto also defended Porcadilla and said they were only following the approved organizational structure of the office.
“Ang sa ato man gud (For our part) is we have a unit, this is CDRRMD, naay (there’s a) head, naay (there’s a) assistant pero (but it’s) vacant ni siya, under ani niya naay (this, it has) three ka sections, admin, operations and warning, tapos (and) planning. Under sa operations and warning naa iyang (his) position didto (is there) as weather monitoring chief,” Monsanto explained.
“Unsaon man nato pagbuhat nga ang iyang position dapat ma-admin nga naa man siya sa ubos, ang organization mao ra gyud atong gi-follow, as approved (How can we make him an admin, if his position is lower, We just followed the organization, as approved),” he added.
“I don’t think, kung ikaw logical ka, nga imong i-contest imong position maprareha ka or maka-level nimo ang dili nimo parehas ug function, nga naa raman gud sa ubos iyang position (if your logical, you will contest your position to the ones not the same with your function, since his position is low),” Monsanto said.
Monsanto said Lago’s departure is “not much of a loss” as the unit he was holding is still fully-functioning.
“Dili ko masayangan sa iya (It’s not a loss for us) because the unit will have to function kung kinsay naa diha (on who’s there), professional ko, the people heading the unit can come and go but the services we deliver to the public will continue,” he said.
“I wish him good luck, unta kung unsa iyang gusto maabot nga dili niya maabot diri sa atong buhatan, hopefully maabot na gyud niya (I hoped that he will attain what he did not achieve while he was here),” he added.
Lago’s transfer to the PDRRMO will take effect March 1, where he will function as the weather monitoring chief of the province.