Number of ‘secret’ workers clarified

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City government has only hired 52 confidential employees, and not 304 as Councilor Socrates Fernandez said.

The figure was according to Talisay City accountant Viluzminda Garces-Villarante.

Garces-Villarante clarified this yesterday in a certification amid issues claiming that Mayor Johnny De los Reyes' administration has hired excess confidential employees at Talisay City Hall since he assumed post in 2013.

Based on her records at the city accounting office, Garces-Villarante said there are 45 confidential job order employees from the executive department and seven from the legislative department.

"This is to certify that the number of confidential job order employees per 2014 payroll is 45 from the executive and 7 legislative department. This certification is made as clarification  to erroneous number of confidential job order employees previously reported," Garces-Villarante said.

Councilor Fernandez, a former city mayor, raised the issue after noticing there have been "quite a number" of appointees bearing the designation of "confidential aide to the city mayor."

The confidential job order employees are prominently receiving higher salaries than most of the City Hall's job order workers.

The salary rate for job order workers depend on the number of days they render work per week. Those who work for five days a week receive P300 per day; for six days, P253.84 per day; and seven days, P220 per day.

The confidential job order workers in Talisay are paid P500 per day.

The job-hire employees are covered by job orders to do a specific job for a particular project, but they do not have an employee-employer relationship with the city government. (FREEMAN)