Capitol employees may get salary today

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board has authorized acting Provincial Treasurer Yolanda Cabando to sign any and all checks drawn against the account of the Province of Cebu along with Governor Hilario Davide III.

This means that Capitol officials and employees will receive their salary today or tomorrow.

The PB passed the resolution for the authorization sponsored by PB Member Peter John Calderon during its inaugural session yesterday.

The depository banks of the Province of Cebu are the Development Bank of the Philippines, Landbank of the Philippines, United Coconut Planters’s Bank and the Philippine Veterans Bank.

The Department of Finance ordered Ofelia Oliva to assume the position on Wednesday last week but the order was recalled the next day that caused delay in the processing of salaries and other cash and check releases.

Cabando was then designated as officer-in-charge of the Treasurer’s Office as assistant provincial treasurer Emmanuel Guial was on official leave since last week.

Also yesterday, Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide III met with Cabando to discuss the concern.

Both Cabando and Guial said that they have to wait for orders from Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) of the DOF as to who would assume as head of the office.

But in the meantime, Cabando will be the OIC while Guial will be the assistant treasurer. Cabando said there are around 700 casual employees of the capitol while another 1,000 are from municipal hospitals.

Their salaries would total around P3 million.

Meanwhile, another resolution sponsored by Calderon authorizing Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale to appoint the PB majority floor leader, assistance floor leader and chairpersons of the different committees was also approved during yesterday’s session.

The adoption of the house rules was supposed to be the only matter to be discussed in yesterday’s session to give way to the inaugural message of Magpale and the message of Davide.

Magpale temporarily designated PB Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy as majority floor leader in yesterday’s inaugural session.

Sitoy was the majority floor leader during the last few months of the previous PB.  (FREEMAN)