Rodriguez employees have yet to receive salaries

MANILA, Philippines - The more than 1,000 municipal employees of Rodri-guez, Rizal have not received their salaries for a month now as the issue of who is the mayor of their town has remained unresolved.

As of yesterday, both Mayor Pedro Cuerpo and acting Mayor Jonas Cruz continued insisting that they are the duly designated mayor of Rodriguez town.

Cuerpo prepared an P8 million payroll for the salaries of the municipal employees but treasurer Nemencia Sta. Maria refused to sign the document.

Cruz, for his part, also prepared his own payroll but the bank refused to honor the document because of Cuerpo’s claim that he is still the town mayor.

The municipal employees continue reporting for work but they, too, are at a loss as to who to follow between Cuerpo and Cruz.

“There is an alignment of forces at the municipal hall right now and the residents are at the losing end because their transactions with the municipal hall are hampered,” a police official said.

The Department of Interior and Local Government served a 90-day suspension order last month on Cuerpo following a recommendation from the Sandiganbayan where the mayor is facing charges filed by owners of houses he ordered demolished.

However, Malacañang directed the DILG to hold in abeyance Cuerpo’s suspension pending the second motion for reconsideration the mayor filed before the Sandiganbayan.

“It is clear that because of Malacanang’s decision I’m not suspended. But Vice Mayor Cruz kept on insisting that he’s still the acting mayor because of the failure of the DILG to issue an order for him to return to his former position,” said Cuerpo.

Cuerpo called on the DILG to act on the Malacañang order so the working condition at the municipal hall would return to normal and the employees would receive their salaries.