Stalled for 3 mos: City OKs appointment of Rama’s consultants

CEBU, Philippines - After nearly three months, the Cebu City Council has finally approved the appointment of two former colleagues as consultants of Mayor Michael Rama.

Edwin Jagmoc’s and Procopio Fernandez’s appointment as consultants for the Department of Public Services and Matters relating to Barangay Affairs was approved during the recent regular session of the council.

The council has deferred the duo’s appointment citing Section 94 of the Local Government  Code of 1991 banning losing candidates to be appointed in any government offices within one year after the election.

Jagmoc and Fernandez both ran under Team Rama in the May 2013 elections but lost.

But Councilor Sisinio Andales, chairman of  the Council’s Committee on Laws, Ordinances, Public Accountability and Good Government that studied the appointments, opined that Section 94 does not apply to the two former councilors.

Andales said as defined by the Civil Service Commission, a consultant is one who provides professional advice on matters within the field of his special knowledge and training so that there is no employer-employee  relationship in the engagement of a consultant but that of a client-professional relationship.

“Thus, consultancy services are not considered government service and a consultant is not considered a government employee,” he further said.

According to the Andales, Jagmoc and Fernandez, pending the approval of their consultancy appointment, have actually been working for the mayor since January and have been receiving a monthly remuneration of P18,000. —/JMD (FREEMAN)