Mandaue College-Jagobiao seeks Ombud help over delayed salaries

CEBU, Philippines – The faculty members of the controversial Mandaue City College-Jagobiao Campus have sought the help of the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas to claim their salaries which the city government allegedly did not give them since 2006.

Dr. Elmer Ripalda, president of the faculty association, filed a request for assistance before the anti-graft body asking Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol to help them withdraw the salaries of the 66 employees of the Mandaue City College under Dr. Paulos Mariae Cañete, which have already accumulated to P10.8 million. Ripalda said that the MCC-Jagobiao campus has 43 faculty members - 14 are full-time and 29 part-time; 12 staff and 11 administrators.

All of them have reportedly not been paid of their salaries by the Mandaue City government since June 2006. The school was not also given its yearly P5-million subsidy for the same period.

The MCC was established by virtue of City Ordinance 10-2005-324A which was amended by Ordinance No. 10-2005-419. The school was established to provide technical and professional training in the arts, sciences, education, engineering, technology, and vocational courses on technical education skills and development.

Section 13 of the said ordinances provide that the local government unit shall give P5-million subsidy every year to the MCC which will be included in the city’s annual budget.

However, Ripalda said that since 2006 the MCC under Cañete has not received its subsidy. He accused the local officials of violating the ordinance that created the MCC because there was no subsidy included in the annual budget this year.

Ripalda asked the anti-graft office to call the attention of the local officials so they may take action to end the “inhuman suffering of the 66 employees”.

The city officials’ alleged failure to release their salaries constitutes a violation of the Constitution. Ripalda said they were “deprived of their right to a living, liberty and property without due process”.

This is a real case of gross negligence, abuse of authority and culpable violation of the Constitution perpetrated by the city government of Mandaue,” Ripalda added.

Mayor Jonas Cortes does not recognize the MCC under Cañete because of the existence of the other MCC campus at the Mandaue City Sports Complex under Dr. Susana Cabahug.

The MCC was split into two campuses after Cañete refused to step down when he was replaced by Cabahug, contending that it is the Board of Trustees that has the authority to replace him. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)