Villarete confirms ouster petition

CEBU, Philippines - A signature campaign is circulating at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) for the ouster of MCIAA General Manager Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete. No less than Villarete confirmed the information during the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza where he was a guest yesterday. The signature campaign has reportedly been ongoing for a month now.

Villarete said he specifically instructed his department and division managers not to stop the petition.

 “My first instruction is do not prevent employees from not signing,” Villarete said.

Having been in the government service for so many years, Villarete said he believes in due process and in respecting the workers’ right to express their sentiments.

Villarete said that prior to joining MCIAA, a policy was in place disallowing employees to talk to the media. He changed this when he assumed as general manager.

“That is your constitutional right. That’s the right of everybody to file a petition. That’s the right of everybody to submit the grievance to anybody. For as long as it’s proven right, fine,” Villarete said.

He said he even asked one of his division managers a copy of the petition so it could be addressed properly but he reportedly saw nothing.

 “It’s very difficult to address something which you have not seen, something which is not filed, something which is not seen. If there is, submit it,” he said.

The reason for the petition, Villarete said, is reportedly his decision not to release some of the employees’ benefits.

“The only reason I can give you for the non-release is that I’m following the law,” he said.

“But if the Cebuanos or the general public would wish me to do illegal things, I will resign because I will not do anything illegal. I will not do anything not in accordance with law,” he added.

Villarete said he already told the employees that “any benefit, any salary, any bonus that is allowed by law I will release immediately, that’s it, nothing more nothing less.”

In the past, before Villarete joined MCIAA, employees have rallied against the management asking for benefits amounting to P58 million, which was later disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Disallowed benefits received by the employees concerned can be recovered by the government through refund and charge the same to the employees’ retirement benefits.

Last year, Villarete said, four employees who retired from service had about P200,000 worth of disallowances deducted from their retirement benefits.

“I explained if I give you something which will be disallowed, that’s tantamount to not giving you anything,” Villarete said. — (FREEMAN)