Old men preying on JO employees: Pesquera wants probe vs ‘Palawan Boys’

CEBU, Philippines — To better protect employees, the Cebu City Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) will intensify efforts in conducting more seminars to inform them of their rights.

This is what Henry Tomalabcad, HRDO head, said when sought for comment over claims that so-called “Palawan Boys” are victimizing City Hall personnel, especially the job order (JO) employees.

He also encouraged employees or their families to file a complaint in cases of infidelity so his office could act on them.

Last Tuesday, a social media page posted an allegation that there is a group of older men called “Palawan Boys” who prey on JO employees by allegedly enticing them with money in exchange for sexual encounters.

“Dunay grupo sa mga tiguwang diha sa City Hall nga gitawag ug PALAWAN BOYS diin ilang target mga JO ilang tintalon pinaagi sa kuarta nga ipadala sa Palawan (Express). Unya ug madala na ila dayon e abang ug balay para adto romansa,” read the post.

Upon learning of this, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera said she would have it investigated by the Cebu City Legal Office, as she described it as “so degrading.”

“As well as it affects the integrity of the City Government, it affects the image of the City Government,” she said.

She acknowledged the possibility of them being vulnerable and acquiescing to the “appalling” advances for the sake of the renewal of their contracts.

The councilor, who heads the City Council’s committee on women and family affairs, made it clear that the Cebu City Government “condemns” all forms of infidelity and third-party issues.

“We condemn it. We abhor it. We do not tolerate it,” she said

For Tomalabcad, the Palawon Boys claim is a serious matter.

“Wa ta kabalo nga daghan nag-suffer of same incidents ba, nya they are just in silence for fear of retribution or basin matanggal sila; but we will not tolerate that,” he said.

The same post also accused a City Hall department head of infidelity that resulted to an altercation between his alleged paramour and his wife and children inside a government office recently.

Tomalabcad said he heard of the alleged altercation but is yet to formal complaint against the department head.

He said HRDO has body that receives complaints against employees, including department heads, and conducts clarificatory conferences.

He emphasized that for infidelity cases, it is important that a formal complaint is filed before their office so that proper actions may then be carried out.

“Of course, sa mga minyo they also have to conduct themselves professionally, walay tatsa. Kung mahimo, mo-follow sila sa atong ginatawag og Code of Ethics. So, apil na ang moral side sa mga empleyado,” Tomalabcad said.

He called on employees or their spouses in a similar situation to file formal complaints before their office.

He admitted hearing about the Palawan Boys through social media.

“Naa kunoy usa ka empleyado nga allegedly nakita-an sa iyang family or anak ba to or wife nga naa sa iyang bulsa ang mga resibo kuno sa Palawan,” he said.

He, however, said that although he had heard of such reports for a while now, they remain heresy because they need a formal complaint to be filed before they could begin an investigation on behalf of the employees.

He said that so far they “heard” of at least five cases of infidelity by City Hall employees but could not act on them because no formal complaints reached his office.

In separate interview, City Councilor Joy Pesquera, chairman of the City Council committee on women and family affairs, said she received numerous complaints by spouses complaining against an employee or an official of Cebu City hall.

She said that what they do is mediation, for both parties to achieve an amicable settlement.

“There are mga situations nga di na gyud madala or ma-handle, that’s why they will directly report it to the city mayor,” Pesquera said.

She said there were also times when she personally did the mediation process and ended up with the wives no longer pursuing the filing of a complaint after a financial support arrangement.

Last March, Pesquera said, they initiated a seminar for spouses involved in third-party cases, as a form of counseling.

“We still have to make a follow through kung unsa may result atoang seminar if naa bay positive impacts sa ilang family,” she said. —/RHM (FREEMAN)