Peña: Junjun to blame for pay snafu

MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. is to blame for the non-release of salaries of the city’s 17 councilors and their aides, Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña said yesterday.

Peña, who was sworn in by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as the city’s acting mayor, reacted strongly to a statement by Councilor Mayeth Casal-Uy, who blamed him for the fiasco.

“It saddens me that suspended Mayor Junjun Binay seems to believe holding on to power and demanding total loyalty is more important than valuing the welfare of Makati employees,” said Peña.

“Through Casal-Uy, he (Binay) is using the issue of staff salaries to block the Ombudsman’s investigation and potentially evade justice,” Peña added.

Casal-Uy earlier said that Peña, as the vice mayor, should have been the one signing the checks for the salaries of the councilors and their staff members. The Local Government Code requires that the vice mayor must approve such releases.

However, Peña’s lawyer, Pol Poblador, said the acting mayor is “legally barred” from executing the duties of the vice mayor.

Poblador added that the law states that when the position of vice mayor is vacant, the city council may designate one of their own to assume the vice mayor’s duties.

“We suggested this solution to the council particularly to avoid salary delays. However, they have not acted,”  Poblador said in a statement.

He said that because of the city councilors’ refusal to act, the DILG has issued a memorandum ordering Councilor Virgilio “Jhong” Hilario to assume the post of “acting vice mayor.”

“This memorandum should clarify without a doubt whose legal duty it is to sign the salary releases. If the staff still do not receive their pay, Hilario and the council are obviously to blame and should be condemned for not executing their official duties,” Poblador said.