Rama open to sharing power to appoint JOs

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is open to the idea of sharing with the members of the City Council the power to appoint Job Order employees in each department of the City Hall.

Rama, however, said he still have to study the law if the legislative department can have the appointing power on the JOs.

“I have to sit down because I cannot see any Supreme Court jurisprudence making the council the appointing power. If that power will be shared who am I also to be greedy and why should I’ll be allowing when the law will not allow,” Rama said.

“I am not saying that I will not agree to an arrangement because what is really adopted that will serve the benefit of the constituency, I am always there to be in support for as long as there is a law allowing (it),” he added.

Section 455 of the Local Government Code provides that one of the duties of the chief executive is to “appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of city funds.”

“Dili ta magbuhat og mga butang nga dili uyunan sa balaod kay ang mahitabo ana, magbuhat tag balaod nga dili angay nga mahimong balaod. And we are supposed to be a government of laws not a government of men,” Rama said.

Councilors Sisinio Andales and Eugenio Gabuya Jr. earlier suggested, among others, to make sure that JOs appointed by the executive branch are really working considering that there are almost 1,000 existing JOs in the City Hall.

“(This is) to check (the JOs if they are really working). Ang main intention to check asa i-assign kay project-based man ang mga JOs,” said Gabuya.

“Kun adunay 813 (in totality) ka mga JOs, ang 400 kapin ang mayor (executive branch) ang mo-appoint niya ang laing 400 kapin amo nang tungaan (from the legislative branch),” Andales suggested.

Gabuya said, so far, none of the department heads disagree to the proposal.

City Engineer Jose Marie Poblete said that as the head of the Department of Engineering and Public Works he will just follow whatever is the decision of the mayor. — (FREEMAN)