15 to lose jobs at VG's office

CEBU, Philippines -  Fifteen staff from the Vice Governor’s Office will not get to have their contracts renewed this July 1.

Capitol also said that it is not obligated to pay the services of four consultants of the late Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. who are now asking to be paid.

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said that only 15 of the 58 casual employees of the office will be terminated from work. Their contracts will expire on June 30.

She said that she evaluated all the staff that she inherited from Sanchez, when she assumed office after the death of the former vice governor, and found that there are those that need to go.

She emphasized that she is not replacing the 15, who would not get to have their contracts renewed.

Magpale said she is abolishing the district deputies division, which Sanchez created. Most of the 15 that would be terminated are assigned to this office.

The vice governor, however, said that she would not name the employees who would be fired.

There are also employees who were detailed to other offices where their skills can be put to proper use.

Magpale said that she will, however, hire two consulants, who are both lawyers.

They are Michelle Ligan for legal matters and Carrie de la Serna-Unchuan for legislative matters.

Meanwhile, four of the six former consultants of Sanchez recently met Magpale and offered their services. They also discussed the collectibles the Province of Cebu allegedly owed them for the whole year of 2010 when they were appointed by Sanchez.

The four are Edgar Godinez (trade and investments), Sophela Ignacio (livelihood administration), Edgar Sibonga (infrastructure) and lawyer Oliveros Kintanar (legal).

Sanchez’s consultants were receiving P23,000 monthly honoraria.

Not binding

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday clarified that the contract signed by Sanchez with his consultants they have does not bind the provincial government and besides, they are neither officials nor employees of the Capitol.

Section 466 (2) of the Local Government Code provides that vice-governor shall subject to civil service law, rules and regulations, appoint all officials and employees of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Garcia said since she assumed office as governor in 2004, she signs all the contracts representing the Province as provided in the Code.

Section 465 (b) (v) provides that the governor shall appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of provincial funds.

Subsequent provisions state that the governor shall represent the province in all its business transactions and sign in its behalf all bonds, contracts, and obligations, and such other documents upon authority of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or pursuant to law or ordinance.

“Hope this will put an end to the matter for all right thinking Cebuanos,” Garcia said. She added that the contract signed by Sanchez did not create an employer-employee relationship.

Beginning 2010, the contracts of nine of ten consultants of Sanchez were not renewed for the period of January to June 2010 by Garcia when it expired in December 2009 following their falling out between the two highest officials of the Capitol.

This prompted Sanchez to bring to court his bid to keep his consultants when he assumed his third term in July 2010 but the court dismissed the case.

Sanchez continued to retain the services of the six consultants insisting he had the power to hire them.

But since the service contracts of these consultants were not renewed, they have not been receiving their salaries starting January 2010. –/NLQ