Tomas: Rama “unfair” to poor city employees

 CEBU, Philippines - Former congressman Tomas R. Osmeña accused Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama of being unfair to poor city employees, who were terminated from their jobs in City Hall ‘because of politics.”

Osmeña also alleged that Rama ignored the employees’ request for the monetization of their leave credits but prioritized a similar request by a few city officials who are the mayor’s allies.

 “If they really care about the poor people, why is it that they don’t care about the people who were terminated by Rama? Daghan kaayo nga akong mga tawo nga ilang gitangtang (A lot of my appointees were removed); why don’t they (city officials) stand up for them?” said Osmeña, a three-time Cebu City mayor whom Rama defeated in the elections last year.

“Nganong nauna man ang mga dagkong opisyal unya ang akong mga tawo nga gitangtang nga dili na sila makabutang og pagkaon sa ilang table wala tagda? Why is it that the officials’ requests for leave credits monetization were attended to first but those of my allies who were fired, them who can no longer earn to have food on their table, were ignored?” Osmeña said.

 City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas confirmed that her office had monetized part of the leave credits of Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and Eustaquio Cesa, who used to be the head of the City Assessor’s Office.

Cuevas did not give any explanation Labella and Cesa were prioritized.

“Wala man ko’y gibalibaran sa (I have not turned down any) request for the monetization of the leave credits, basta makakompleto lang sa gikinahanglan nga dukomento (as long as their documents were complete),” the city treasurer said.

Osmeña, though, insisted there was bias for administration allies while traffic enforcers who have served the city for 10 to 15 years, but were removed because they were identified with him and whose leave credits were just small, were not prioritized in the monetization.

 “Sus, mga hypocrite g’yud sila,” he said.

 In a separate interview, Labella said he requested for the monetization of his leave credits amounting to about P200,000 so he could help some of those victimized by super typhoon Yolanda.

 He said that days after Yolanda hit Cebu City last November 8, 2013 he received so many solicitations for help from calamity victims.

“My salary was not enough. I just could not disregard the pitiful sight of victims who came to my office asking for galvanized iron sheets, wood, nails and other construction materials,” the vice mayor said.

 The Department of Budget and Management allows the monetization of leave credits of government officials and employees, subject to savings of the government office concerned to which it would charged against. (FREEMAN)