Some CH consultants won't get new contract

CEBU, Philippines - After he was criticized for having over 40 consultants, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said, some of the “carried over” consultants from his predecessor will not have their contracts renewed.

Rama said he is currently reviewing the final list of consultants, both old and new, to find out who among them will be retained.

The Mayor clarified that of his 44 consultants only 10 of them were hired under his administration. He said most of them were “carried over” from the previous administration.

Amidst opposition, especially from his former allies, Rama said that he just wants those “carried over consultants” to be assessed and if found useless, their contract will not be renewed.

“You (consultants) should know where you stand,” he said.

“Naa may di work og consultant unya consultant ang ngalan, ato nang ipaklaro,” Rama said.

Meanwhile, Barangay Basak San Nicolas Captain George Rama cried foul over the City Council’s calling the mayor anti-poor for not renewing the contracts of about 51 casual employees.

      George said the number of employees who were recommended by their respective department heads for non-renewal is incomparable to the number of employees who were terminated by South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña when he assumed mayor in 2001.

According to George, Osmeña did not renew over 900 employees in a matter of two months because they were identified supporters of former mayor Alvin Garcia.

“So who’s the anti-poor? Ang nag-taktak og 50 ra kabuok o ang nagtaktak og hapit usa ka libo?” George said.

George gave the media a copy of all employees that were not renewed by Osmeña in July and August 2001, many of them came from the Department of Public Services and the engineering department.

George was able to secure a list of the employees that Osmeña did not renew in 2001 from the Human Resource and Development Office.

He belied that the 51 casual employees, 14 of which from the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, were not renewed because of their political affiliation.

“They were recommended by their department heads. Gitaktak sila tungod sa ilang performance ug tungod dili na kinahanglan ilang serbisyo,” George said.

“If dili sila anti-poor, nganung sa 15 ka tuig nga mayor si Tommy wala man na niya napahiluna ang mga tawo daplin sa sapa? Kanus-a pa man diay ta mubuhat sa angay buhaton? Kung mapareho na ta sa Manila ug sa Davao?” he added.

The Mayor said he has ordered the department heads to ‘substantiate’ their recommendation for the non-renewal of the 51 employees even if it is not necessary under the law.   - (THE FREEMAN)