This issue was first raised two weeks ago when Human Resource Department Officer Emily Cabrera was called to explain before the council the status of the employees' step increment and other benefits. Cabrera said that apart from budget officer Edgardo Mabunay's denial of their benefits there are actually 138 employees occupying "bogus positions" or positions that have yet to be created through a resolution or ordinance.
The "occupants" of these nonexistent positions may be asked to refund their wages since they received them illegally.
Yesterday, councilor Allan Bucao, who received a letter from Cabrera stating that these positions must be created, blamed the council for their negligence.
"The (employees') union might sue us for dereliction of duty. Kitay mabasol for not creating these positions," Bucao said, while blaming the council for continually passing the annual budget, in which included appropriations for these employees' salary, without even checking that those being appropriated for are not yet being legit employees.
Council secretary Emigdio Enjambre then told the council that there was in fact a Committee Report for their Annual Budget 2002 from the council explaining that the allocation for newly-created positions was "disallowed for lack of legal basis."
However, this communication landed only in the office of Enjambre just days ago after the employees' union handed him the copy. The said Committee Report was personally taken by Nona Narca on September 12, 2002, as her signature appeared on the copy supposedly for the council.
Enjambre told the media in a separate interview that Narca's keeping this communication from the council for the last three years constitutes a grave offense. Narca is the same employee implicated by the union for receiving a large amount of money as overtime pay.
Enjambre explained that all documents intended for the council should either be directly sent to his office or he personally gets it from the city council.
Narca, he said, was either using his name or must be backed by someone powerful as she was able to get the document, which could only be among the many, without his authorization. The city council also has lapses in this, he said.
This prompted Enjambre to notify the city council's office not to release any documents for Talisay City to anyone without his authorization.
"You were not informed for more than three years. And this may not be new," Enjambre told the stunned council.
Meanwhile, Bucao recommended to the council that Cabrera should be reprimanded as she already knew all this time that these positions should be created but she did not act on them immediately.
"This letter is a clear manifestation of how irresponsible the HRDO is," Bucao said about the letter sent by Cabrera.
With more questions coming out of the woodwork, the council decided to invite the department heads and all those involved in this present issue to a closed-door meeting this Tuesday. - Liv G. Campo