CEBU, Philippines - Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. is not the only one feeling the pinch after falling out from the political mantle of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, so are his staff.
After having been stripped of his consultants, computers and other office equipment, Sanchez will now have to run his office with a very limited staff after the governor refused to renew the contracts of 57 casual and contractual employees under the Office of the Vice Governor.
In a memorandum dated January 5 issued by provincial administrator Eduardo Habin, upon the authority of the governor, it advised all casual and contractual employees of the province to “cease and desist from reporting for duty.”
Sanchez said that of the 57 casual and contractual employees under the Office of the Vice Governor, 30 are assigned in his office while the others are detailed in other offices under the legislative department like the offices of the board members.
Sanchez said he recommended for the renewal of the contracts of these employees in December yet, but the governor reportedly refused to sign it.
Sanchez appealed to Garcia to spare the employees from their political differences.
Capitol spokesperson Rory Jon Sepulveda said the cease and desist order for casual and contractual employees whose contracts expired at the end of the year is a normal occurrence every start of the year.
Sepulveda said, Sanchez should justify why he needs these casuals so that their contract would be renewed especially now that the possibility of being delegated executive functions is very remote considering the fallout that happened between him and Garcia.
“He will have to be limited to the duties of his office as vice governor,” Sepulveda said.
Sepulveda said the Casual Internal and External Outsourcing Committeeheaded by Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla will make the evaluation and recommendation to the governor for all casuals and contractual before they are renewed.
Sepulveda admitted that the office of the governor received the recommendation for renewal of the 57 employees under Sanchez’s office, but the request is reportedly under verification.
He explained that they need to verify if these casual and contractualemployees are actually reporting to the Capitol or they are working somewhere else, but drawing salary from the provincial government.
As soon as the verification is done, Sepulveda believes that those who are actually working in the Capitol will be renewed. According to him, he believes that some of these casual and contractual employees are no longer needed because they were hired before, because of theproposed trans-axial highway project.
Sepulveda said now that the study for the trans-axial highway is over there is no need for Sanchez to retain these casual employees.
These casual and contractual employees are paid from P7,000 to P15,000 a month.
Garcia first crippled Sanchez, politically, by withholding his financial assistance to the barangays. She then stripped him of office equipment and consultants used in studies made for thetrans-axial highway project.
Garcia did not anymore renew the contracts of the nine consultants ofSanchez aside from withholding the P23-million discretionary fund that Sanchez used to enjoy in identifying projects of his choice under the Legislative Assistance Fund.
Sanchez described the governor’s act as “pure political harassment.”
Sanchez appealed thru the media for the governor to spare the employees from their political bickering and renew their contracts.
According to Sanchez, he might be forced to bring in some of his employees of his private company to help him out at Capitol.
As of yesterday, however, all of the casual and contractual employeeswhose contracts were not renewed were still reporting for work.—/NLQ (FREEMAN NEWS)