Ombuds gives Jonas 10 days to comment on teachers' complaint

CEBU, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has ordered Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes to comment on the complaint filed by the faculty members of the controversial Mandaue City College-Jagobiao Campus because of the city’s alleged refusal to release their salaries since 2006.

In a letter dated May 21, Assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas Virginia Palanca Santiago gave Cortes 10 days to answer the complaint upon receipt of the order.

The teachers of the MCC-Jagobiao Campus sought the help of the Ombudsman to claim their salaries, which allegedly have accumulated to more than P10 million 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. Paulus Cañete amounting to P10.8 million.

Ripalda said the MCC-Jagobiao have 43 faculty members, 14 are full-time and 29 partime, 12 staff and 11 administrators. All of them allegedly have not been paid of their salaries by the Mandaue City Government since June 2006. The school was not also given their yearly P5 million subsidy for the same period.

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

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

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

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

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

Cortes, however, 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 with Cabahug contending that it is the board of trustees that has authority to replace him. — Fred P. Languido/JMO (THE FREEMAN)