Palace of Justice guards unpaid for 2 months now

Guards of the security agency contracted to secure the Palace of Justice said their company has not paid their salaries for two months already because the Supreme Court failed to settle their bills.

Some of the guards have already threatened to abandon their assignments for reasons that they no longer have money for their fares and meals.  

Romeo Jamaybay, acting head guard of Blue Dozen Security Agency, confirmed that most of his men threatened to stop reporting for work when they could not borrow money for his fare and meals.

“Sige nalang mi og pangutang, usahay kausa nalang mi

mokaon dunganon ang pamahaw ug paniudto,” Jamaybay said.

The other guards said that the situation is really hard for them because they are behind on rent and sari-sari stores will no longer honor their credit unless they can settle unpaid accounts. 

Jamaybay said the management of Blue Dozen Security Agency told them that the agency has no money to pay for their salaries because the Supreme Court has not paid their bills for two months now.

But, Henry Espinosa, assistant building administrator of the Palace of Justice and security coordinator, said that the agency should not make the Supreme Court’s failure to settle its bills to them as the reason for not paying the salaries of their personnel.

Espinosa said the security guards are not employees of the Supreme Court and it is not the court’s obligation to pay them. Espinosa said there are really times that the Supreme Court cannot pay its bills on time due to the availability of funds and the agency should prepare for this.

Blue Dozen Security Agency won in the bidding to supply security guards for the Palace of Justice in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.  Jamaybay said in Cebu they have 12 guards in the Capitol, seven in Lapu-Lapu City, six in Mandaue City and three in Argao.

The agency started its four-year contract with the Supreme Court in 2004. Jamaybay said this is the second time that their salaries have been delayed for two months as this also happened last year.

“Suko na kaayo ang ubang gwardiya nako kay nagtuo nga wa nako i-follow-up.  Daghan na kaayong mga text akong nadawat,” Jamaybay told The Freeman.

But on top of two months unpaid salaries, the guards also complained that the agency has not remitted their contributions to the Social Security System. One of the guards told The Freeman that he applied for a salary loan with SSS while waiting for their salaries, but he could not avail of a loan because their premiums have reportedly not been paid since 2005.

Aside from it, the guards also complained that their agency allegedly did not enroll them in PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig which are mandatory under the law.

Blue Dozen Security Agency operations manager Sarah Gilay was not available for comment yesterday.

The guards said they have already sought the assistance of Regional Trial Court judge Geraldine Faith Econg about this and she promised to bring their problem to the Office of the Court administrator.  — Fred P. Languido/BRP